Ohio Puts Expanded Prison Smoking Ban Forward Hold

Lawmakers benefit from temporarily snuffed out the state's plan to put into action a widespread smoking prohibit in prisons by March.

A legislative rule-making committee was scheduled to approve the plan last week although postponed a vote up till below this month.

Committee chairman Tom Niehaus, a state senator from New Richmond in southwest Ohio, says lawmakers question whether the state had the authority to put the prohibit in placement.

Niehaus says state law bans smoking in some prisons but it's not absolute how the law compromises despite other correctional facilities.

The prison system argues that banning smoking will reduce health care costs for inmates. The state plans to move ahead despite the planned contain in March.

The association representing prison guards want assurances its employees will be offered the same types of anti-smoking programs available to inmates.