Smoke Free Natrona County Confident Ordinance Will Stand

Smoke Free Natrona County, the coalition of individuals and businesses who supported the development of an indoor public smoking ban for the city of Casper, are confident the ordinance, if brought to a vote of the people, will stand.

An opposition group is gathering signatures calling for a referendum of the ordinance passed by city council.

Mandi Wymore, is spokesperson for Smoke Free Natrona County and she says the survey they did last year indicated a majority in Casper support the move to keep all indoor public spaces smoke free.

"People, they really understand the issue. They understand the effects of second hand smoke and they want to see the benefits, the positive benefits in our own community, right here."

Wymore says the ordinance is about health. She says its about decreasing heart attack rates, decreasing cancer rates and protecting youth. The drive for an indoor smoking ban in Casper began as a grass roots effort in 1988 and eventually gained financial support through a grant from the American Cancer Society.