In its first year, a number of local health commissioners believe Ohio's "Smoke Free" program has been fairly successful.  But even Mahoning County Board of Health Director Matt Stefanek admits after spending close to $15,000 dollars the last twelve months enforcing the rules and prosecuting violators, his office has collected only $180-dollars in fines.

According to the state Department of Health, only a fraction of the complaints received by local county or city agencies ever result in fines being levied.  First-time offenders are given a non-monetary warning, and much more often the cases are dismissed entirely.  But each of those reports exacts a toll in man-hours and legal expenses.

Youngstown Health Commissioner Neil Altman tells me while the regulations were well-intended, he says they are almost impossible to enforce.  And catching violators often means working late at night..when the bars and clubs where smoking might occur would be open.

And even more troubling for health districts, the potential loss of thousands of dollars because Governor Ted Strickland wants to use money now targeted for anti-smoking education programs for his huge Economic Stimulus package. Those we spoke with today worry the loss of those funds could mean services could be cut, and some jobs could be lost.