The smoking ban already “went into effect on July 21 but the civil penalties for the ban weren't approved by the state Board of Health until last week.” Fines up to $500 for a criminal violation and $1,000 for a civil violation apply to those breaking the new law.
There is an exemption for this law that “includes bars and restaurants that don’t admit people under 21 as well as smoking areas in certain businesses, including small hotels and motels, retail tobacco stores and long-term care facilities.”
Already around 250 complaints of violations have been called in to the state. Battling people addicted to nicotine will prove to be difficult but worth it for the non-smokers. Smoking and non-smoking areas of a restaurant never made any sense to me. The smoke is not going to stop its lazy drift through the air and into the non-smokers lungs. I am always surprised when I visit states that still allow smoking in restaurants.
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