Cigarette, Anyone?

[Sue U]

BSG--Interesting, I have been in Pennsylvania, Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Nevada in the last couple of years and never noticed smoking in any bars or restaurants I frequented, so It doesn't seem to be all that widespread in those states. imagine there must be some places that permit it, but the economics are driving the restaurants/bars to remain smoke free.

I think smoking bans may be by municipal ordinance in places that don't have a statewide smoking law. See, e.g., Philadelphia's smoking prohibition. I am aware of one bar in Philly that still allowed smoking (at least it did the last time I was there, about 10 years ago) but I'm not sure it was actually legal, more just the regular patrons' & staff's preference. (They claimed to have some sort of exemption, but I don't see anything in the ordinance that would apply; maybe the exemption was provided personally by the L&I inspector on payment of the requisite fee.)

[Big RR]

The only one I know for certain is a cigar bar by me; I know one of the owners, the place was grandfathered and he told me NJ is a stickler--they cannot change the foot print of anything , even the kitchen. right now it makes bar food, but why the state would care if they took some of the eating are and made it into a kitchen so they coud dserve good dinners is beyond me. But such things rarely make sense when you're fighting the immoraility of the vicious tobacco weed.