The following summary was posted on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website. If VIRGINIA can do it, I'd sure hope Wisconsin could do it (and with less exemptions)!
The Virginia House of Delegates on Monday approved sweeping legislation that would ban smoking in bars and restaurants in the state, the Washington Post reports. Currently, individual bars and restaurants in Virginia are permitted to enforce their own smoking restrictions. However, the new bill, which was revised several times before being approved, bans smoking in all restaurants and bars. Exceptions to the bill allow for smoking in outdoor patio areas, at restaurants during private functions that use the entire facility, and at clubs and bars when underage patrons are not admitted. In addition, the law would permit smoking in rooms that are separated by doors, regardless of whether the room has a separate ventilation system. Violations for noncompliance would result in a $25 fine, a figure that has drawn criticism from the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society and other smoke-free policy proponents for being too lenient. If approved by the state Senate as expected, Virginia would become the first state in the south to institute a full smoking ban (Kumar, Washington Post, 2/10/09).
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