Virginia smoking ban dec. 1 !!!!!!!!

[spivey]

Wow...another vaper in Hampton Roads. That makes 3 of us.

[Vocalek]

Let's meet up in Fredrickburg. I think that's about halfway.

[spivey]

A VA Vapers meet?

How about on Capitol Hill? We could party with the tea-baggers.

[arms4defense]

That is a good thing, who wants to smell smoke while your eating? Easier for towns/cities as well, now each is covered by the same regs. I was on a BOH in MA for years. You wouldn't believe the hassle from bars, etc we got passing a ban in my town, you'll scare customers away to other towns, etc. The State finally passed a ban making it a level playing field.

I have to disagree, it is not the governments place to tell restaurant owners what they can or cannot due in regards to smoking. Smoking is legal, so it should be up to the restaurant or bar owner as to whether or not they want to be a non-smoking establishment. I personally do not like to smell smoke while I'm eating, but that is why I sit in the non-smoking section. This is about the rights of the restaurant owner, not about smokers' rights as far as I'm concerned. I am sick and tired of Government trying to "Help" protect us from ourselves.

[oldlady]

At what point are citizens going to draw the line?

Unless a building/business/practice/person is owned by the government or is causing direct harm to others, the government should not have authority to impose regulations on it.

If people don't like smoking, they should avoid privately owned establishments that allow it. Period. Similarly, smokers can avoid privately owned businesses that forbid it.

This anti-smoking witch hunt is getting way out of proportion. We let the smoking nazis enter private businesses, then our cars, now what--our homes?

More important, every law passed creates a precedent for MORE laws!

[angjen0816]

There are already laws being made to ban smoking from apartments and rental homes out in CA

[Mac]

Wow...another vaper in Hampton Roads. That makes 3 of us.

I know hundreds.

[MBK]

Compared to Illinois this is lenient. Here it's outside only, and they are chipping away at that one too.

yes. IL and CO are the two worst. smoking is even banned in casinos here.

[Storyspinr]

With the election of Republicans for Governor, Lt. Gov. and Attorney General, all of whom either spoke out against or voted against the smoking ban, plus the GOP control of the House of Delegates, I think it unlikely the ban will be extended over the next four years. I'm hoping there will be lawsuits against it as being unConstitutional since it favors large chains over small mom and pop restaurants without the space or money for smoking rooms; the smaller restaurants often have a very large smoking clientele and the ban could put them out of business.

The whole secondhand smoke thing is, as one doctor stated, "one of the greatest frauds ever perpetrated on the American public". As vapers are learning, bans were never about a health risk, but part of a concerted effort to drive smokers from society. That's why they are also against PVs - they look like smoking and that is enough to demand they be banned. OldLady is exactly right - the attack on smokers is incremental and the silent acceptance by too many smokers has encouraged the anti-smoker gangs to demand more and more "smokefree" territory. Also bear in mind those groups get hundreds of thousands of dollars annually from Big Pharma, which stands to make millions from their nicotine replacement products if people are forced to quit or reduce their smoking.

If you decide to meet in Fredericksburg, let me know. I live there. I have some ideas on PVs in Virginia, but am waiting to see how the FDA/Smoking Everywhere court case is resolved. I think we might get a friendly reception in Richmond if we play our cards right, but I believe much depends upon how the PV is eventually classified by a court.

[Slickstick]

I will see you there story!