Smoking Banned in Va

[N2Advnture]

Va. Senate Committee Approves Smoking Ban



Associated Press
Thursday, January 29, 2009; 1:10 PM



A Senate committee has passed legislation that would ban smoking in restaurants and most public buildings.


If those bills hit a snag, the Senate Education and Health Committee also passed bills to allow localities to enact their own smoking bans. All the bills passed by 11-3 votes Thursday.


Gov. Tim Kaine has advocated for a ban on smoking in all restaurants, saying that the government must protect residents from unhealthy secondhand smoke. Opponents say the government has no right to make decisions for private businesses and that a smoking ban could further damage businesses already crippled from a crumbling economy.


Similar bills have passed the Senate before but were killed in subcommittee in the Republican-controlled House.

 

[Proud Bear]

Key words:

"government must protect residents"

Wow. Oh, gotta get off the forums, I can feel Big Brother watching! :banned:

Bear

 

[unfairtoast]

Smoking bans are not always as bad as they seem. Restaurants become a lot more enjoyable because its not full of cigarette smoke. As long as it isn't as oppressive as the ban in Washington, most people find these are not that bad.

 

[Jetexas]

Coffee is next - Big brother says caffine is an addictive substance and must be abolished!!:devil:

 

[Saully]

Smoking bans are not always as bad as they seem. Restaurants become a lot more enjoyable because its not full of cigarette smoke. As long as it isn't as oppressive as the ban in Washington, most people find these are not that bad.

I agree with that. (Don't know about bars, though.)

 

[njstone]

The major difference between the two predominating political parties/ideologies:

One believes that, all things being equal, people should have the right to make their own choices.

The other believes that people are incapable of making the "correct" choice, and so the government must step in and do it for them.

I vote for freedom, myself.

 

[Saully]

Sort of a thread jack but I liked this article about Michael Phelps from today's paper:

http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x54516...es-light-on-nation-s-ludicrous-marijuana-laws

 

[Cravate]

If you can win eight Olympic Gold medals while smoking marijuana then you deserve to keep them.

 

[N2Advnture]

Updated:

Key Members of the House of Delegates announce smoking ban!This morning (Feb. 5th) several key members of the House of Delegates along with Governor Kaine announced a "compromise" smoking ban bill that will replace previous submitted versions of legislation. This bill will be heard by the House General Laws sub-committee today, and is expected to pass.

The bill is a statewide restaurant smoking ban that excludes private clubs, and restaurants that have a fully-enclosed, self-ventilating smoking room. The exact language for the bill has yet to be posted, but will be available on our website as soon as it comes out.

To see the entire press conference, please visit the following link: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZfsn93vt9M"]YouTube - Groundbreaking Agreement to Ban Smoking in Restaurants Announced[/ame] .

Our last chance to protect restaurant owners' rights to run their business, and to protect our right to enjoy a fine cigar at our favorite restaurants lies with the members of the House of Delegates.

Please call your Delegate immediately, and urge everyone that you know to do the same.

Thanks for all the support,

Cigar Association of Virginia
www.savemycigar.org

 

[Black Dog]

Coffee is next - Big brother says caffine is an addictive substance and must be abolished!!:devil:

Noooooooooooooo!!!

 

[Smokey550i]

Obviously I smoke ... but haven't picked up a coffin nail is over 15 years. I visit FL on a yearly basis and the "ban" was one of the things I liked about dining out down there.

Illinois just put one in effect and while the normal grumblings were heard, it's been a pretty easy pill. Fast Eddies (a biker/adults only bar in Alton) even bought a city street and expanded his business so he could have an outdoor smoking area for his place. A bar in town built a room at the back, although technically incorrect WRT to the law, no one complains - no one enforces.

I like the bans ... others don't.

later,

 

[Moro]

...Our last chance to protect restaurant owners' rights to run their business, and to protect our right to enjoy a fine cigar at our favorite restaurants lies with the members of the House of Delegates.

Please call your Delegate immediately, and urge everyone that you know to do the same.http://www.savemycigar.org..

Worth saying twice. It takes actionto cause a reaction mates; nothingwill happen for ye if nothing is done by ye.

 

[unfairtoast]

Try not to worry. Just be glad your legislators dont go overboard like Washington. When one feels the need to ban smoking in a cigar bar so that they can protect the workers there from smoke....its gone to far.

 

[musicman]

Man, that sucks.

 

[Swampfox21]

ouch! yea restraunts arent bad but bars arent the same. heck the crazies even put cigar shops under the band where im from. Because it had "gifts" ie chess sets and nice watches so apparently its a gift shop not a cigar shop.

 

[BagfullofPings]

Instead of bitching, may we should start a revolution. How big are you balls? If you/we are not willing to die for it, maybe it is not that important.

Jason