Will restaurants be cigarette-free when the smoke pours?

Published on February 6, 2008 2:19 PM

When Gov. Tim Kaine offered a smoking ban in restaurants in the state this month, he did so having the health of employees and customers in mind. The governor showed concern about the long-term influence of secondhand smoke in a report he gave in Virginia Beach.

"The majority of Virginians' incomes depend on working in bars and restaurants without any choice," he said. "It's difficult to tell somebody who is working hard and trying to earn his/her family living and liking the place, 'Oh well. You should go somewhere else if you don't like the smoke here ...."

This is not the first of the governor’s attempts to introduce a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars — in both 2006 and 2007 analogous bans were proposed, but neither was passed by the state's General Assembly. This year, state legislators say they are divided on the issue, as the argument is serious on both sides.

"I guess it's one of those issues that you never know whether it moves forward or not just because there's so plenty arguments to be made, pro and con, on either side," state Del. R. Steven Landes, R said. "I introduce it every year and just try to listen to the objections and make a decision based on that."

State Sen. Emmett Hanger, R - Mount Solon, said he is not going to support the proposal.

Local business owners seem to agree with the senator's feelings on whether or not the government should demand private businesses to ban a legal substance. Th fright of a decline in business for edifices that cater to smokers, and concern about how far government regulations could go if the ban is approved, become the leader in the list of worries for bar and restaurant managers in the state.

Smokers prefer to visit bars and restaurants where they can smoke with their drinks and meals.

Hoy expressed frustration over the proposal, saying, "It's not up to a politician to decide. It's just not right. We're a democracy and there's no dictator telling us what to do, so we have the right as long as it's legal."

Cigarettes are legal. There is no sense to deny that.