Bullitt Fiscal Court v. Bullitt County Board of Health

434 S.W.3d 29, 2014 WL 2778933, 2014 Ky. LEXIS 237
CourtKentucky Supreme Court
DecidedJune 19, 2014
DocketNo. 2013-SC-000023-DG
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 434 S.W.3d 29 (Bullitt Fiscal Court v. Bullitt County Board of Health) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Kentucky Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Bullitt Fiscal Court v. Bullitt County Board of Health, 434 S.W.3d 29, 2014 WL 2778933, 2014 Ky. LEXIS 237 (Ky. 2014).

Opinion

Opinion of the Court by Justice CUNNINGHAM.

“Tobacco is a nasty weed,” allegedly spoke King James I of England in 1604 while in a rather lyrical mood. “Right from the hell they brought the seed. It fouls the mouth and soils the clothes and makes a chimney of the nose.”

Historical Background

Little could King James have envisioned what a dynamic course his “weed” would take over the next four hundred years in America. No state has been more affected by tobacco than Kentucky. From the bur-ley of the central region of the state to the dark tobacco of the far west, Kentucky’s relationship with its historic cash crop has been bittersweet — both the boon and the bane of our Commonwealth.

Spanning Pikeville to Paducah, rare is the hill, hollow, or hamlet that remains untouched by the legacy of this controversial plant. For example, images of tobacco leaves are molded into the fagade of the Caldwell County Courthouse in Princeton, Kentucky as an enduring testament to our agrarian history and culture. Further illustration may be gleaned from the large quilt that hangs on the first floor of our state Capitol building. It has been woven together with 120 sections representing the individual identities of each of our Kentucky counties. More than a dozen of these quilted sections have tobacco plants artistically stitched upon them. These examples are representative of the undeniable impact of tobacco on Kentucky’s economic, social, and political history.

It is doubtful that anyone has ever seriously challenged the ancient admonition of King James to suggest that any type of consumption of tobacco is good for one’s health. But there are many things that fall upon that list of unhealthy habits of which Americans are still free to indulge. In fact, a notion that has been a large part of the American culture throughout much of its history is the belief that freedom includes the right to be wrong. Renowned 19th century physician and educator, Thomas H. Huxley, stated the opinion of many when he professed, “It is far better for a man to go wrong in freedom than go right in chains.” That belief is tempered, of course, with the condition that the harmful practice does not invade the well-being of others. Nowhere in America has that independent streak existed with greater fervor than in Kentucky. For example, Kentucky was one of the last states to adopt a secondary seatbelt law and to later implement a primary seatbelt law. See KRS 189.125.

Smoking Statistics

The two largest tobacco-producing states are Kentucky and North Carolina, accounting for 75% of tobacco grown in the United States in 2012.1 Although North Carolina produces more tobacco than Kentucky, the Commonwealth is home to more than twice as many tobacco farms as North Carolina.2 Cash receipts from Kentucky’s tobacco production totaled [32]*32$384,886,000 in 2012 — approximately 7.3% of the Commonwealth’s total agricultural commodity cash receipts that year.3 This is a substantial economic impact.

Kentucky also leads the nation in smoking prevalence. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) cites that, in 2012, 28.3% of Kentucky adults were classified as current smokers.4 This statistic slightly decreased from 29% in 2011, where the CDC listed Kentucky as having the highest rate of adult smokers in the country.5 Kentucky spends in excess of $1.5 billion in annual health care costs directly related to smoking, $487 million of which is allocated to Medicaid.6 Yet, nearly 8,000 Kentucky adults die from smoking related illnesses each year.7 This is an astonishing health impact.

In 1964, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report concluding that “cigarette smoking contributes substantially to mortality from certain specific diseases and to the overall death rate.”8 This report was the first significant attempt at raising awareness of the health issues now commonly associated with smoking, such as the increased risk of lung cancer. Furthermore, in reports throughout the 1980s, then Surgeon General C. Everett Koop famously heralded the negative health consequences of smoking.

More germane to the case before us, subsequent surgeons general reports and other scientific literature have also voluminously documented the harmful effects of tobacco smoke on non-smokers, commonly known as second-hand smoke. A 2006 Surgeon General’s Report cites that many of the chemicals inhaled through secondhand smoke are known carcinogens.9 Further, a 2010 Surgeon General’s Report concluded that even short-term exposure to second-hand smoke can result in serious health consequences.10 In 2009-2010, overall second-hand smoke exposure by Kentucky adults was 51.4%, with 30% reporting exposure in the workplace and 32.8% reporting exposure in public [33]*33places.11

Given such dismal data, it is understandable that many health care professionals and government officials have sought to curtail the prevalence of this noxious fume. Promoting a smoke-free society is a reasonable goal grounded in sound research. However, when promotion becomes enactment, even the most virtuous causes must also be grounded in law. See FDA v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp., 529 U.S. 120, 161, 120 S.Ct. 1291, 146 L.Ed.2d 121 (2000) (recognizing that “no matter how important, conspicuous, and controversial the issue ... an administrative agency’s power to regulate in the public interest must always be grounded in a valid grant of authority....”).

Regulation No. 10-01

On March 22, 2011, the Bullitt County Board of Health (the “Board”) enacted Regulation 10-01 (the “Regulation”) entitled, “A Regulation Related to the Protection of the Public Health and Welfare by Regulating Smoking in Public Places and Places of Employment.” This eleven-page document begins by citing various studies and articles discussing the hazards of tobacco smoke, primarily second-hand smoke. Section 4 of the Regulation prohibits tobacco smoke in “all enclosed public places within Bullitt County,” specifically including bars, bingo facilities, hotels, motels, and restaurants.

The subsequent sections of the Regulation prohibit smoking in enclosed places of employment, in certain outdoor public places, and in private clubs. The Regulation does permit smoking in private residences unless they are otherwise defined as “public places.” Section 10 of the Regulation requires the posting of “No Smoking” signs and the removal of ashtrays from regulated places. Section 12 requires that the Regulation be enforced through citations issued by the Board, but also provides that enforcement “may be conducted by ... sworn law officers” of Bullitt County. The Regulation additionally requires owners and operators of smoking-regulated businesses to direct anyone they see smoking in violation of the Regulation to cease. If the smoker refuses, the Regulation commands that business owners and operators “shall call local law enforcement.”

Section IB of the Regulation provides penalties, including fines, which shall be assessed by the Board upon finding a violation of the Regulation.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
434 S.W.3d 29, 2014 WL 2778933, 2014 Ky. LEXIS 237, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/bullitt-fiscal-court-v-bullitt-county-board-of-health-ky-2014.