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

[Slickstick]

Gov. signs smoking ban in Marlboro country

Bill applies to restaurants, bars in Virginia; takes effect Dec. 1


This is old news... But Dec. 1st is right around the corner !! I wonder how this will effect sales of PV's?



VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The home state of Marlboro cigarettes and the world's largest cigarette factory is banning most smoking in restaurants and bars.Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine signed a bill Monday that generally restricts smoking to separate rooms that have their own ventilation. It takes effect Dec. 1.
Twenty-three of 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., have banned smoking in most public places, including bars and restaurants. Other states debating smoking bans this year include neighboring tobacco state North Carolina, along with Kansas, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Governor signs smoking ban in Va. - Life- msnbc.com

 

[rkh3]

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.

 

[jj2]

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

 

[jennlsnoopy]

Smoking is banned indoors here. Have to be 20 feet from windows and doors too.

 

[oldlady]

As a native Virginian, I am embarrassed. One would have thought the Old Dominion could have held out longer. Oh well, at least smokers can still have their own rooms.

 

[Slickstick]

But we can still vape inside bars when the Virginia cigarette ban takes place on Dec 1st correct? I have seen statements on E-cig merchant websites that say vaping is legal anywhere there is a no smoking sign. Since I work in a karaoke bar I am very curious if the Virginia ban includes personal vaporizers.

 

[ACM]

In New York City, several years ago, they did the same thing: Smoking was permitted only in separate rooms with special ventilation systems. The systems worked well - you could go in those rooms and smoke, and none of the smoke seemed to leak out to bother the non-smokers in the rest of the bar. But that only lasted a couple of years before the ban was extended to include ALL space within a bar.

The problem was that bar owners spent many thousand of dollars building special smoking rooms and installing special, expensive ventilation systems, only to have them rendered useless a couple of years later. I'll bet that the same thing will happen in Virginia.

Now, in New York, you can only smoke in specially designated "cigar bars", of which there are few.

 

[Vocalek]

But we can still vape inside bars when the Virginia cigarette ban takes place on Dec 1st correct? I have seen statements on E-cig merchant websites that say vaping is legal anywhere there is a no smoking sign. Since I work in a karaoke bar I am very curious if the Virginia ban includes personal vaporizers.

Suggestion: Go to the bar manager, demonstrate your unit and see if he or she will allow it. The law doesn't disallow it. According to the letter of the law, the ban covers cigarettes that contain tobacco.

This is from an earlier thread on the topic.
http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...ng-ban-includes-e-cigs-per-dept-health-2.html

The Virginia Code defines "cigarette" in about three different places and these definitions are identical. Interestingly enough, the statutory scheme banning smoking in many indoor places does not define "cigarette" even though § 58.1-1000 which is the definition section of the smoking ban defines "smoke" or "smoking" as "the carrying or holding of any lighted pipe, cigar, or cigarette of any kind, or any other lighted smoking equipment, or the lighting, inhaling, or exhaling of smoke from a pipe, cigar, or cigarette of any kind."

One of those three identical definitions of smoking is § 58.1-1031 which states "'Cigarette' means any product that contains nicotine, is intended to be burned or heated under ordinary conditions of use, and consists of or contains (i) any roll of tobacco wrapped in paper or in any substance not containing tobacco; (ii) tobacco, in any form, that is functional in the product, which, because of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filler, or its packaging and labeling, is likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as a cigarette; or (iii) any roll of tobacco wrapped in any substance containing tobacco which, because of its appearance, the type of tobacco used in the filler, or its packaging and labeling, is likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as a cigarette described in clause (i) of this definition. The term "cigarette" includes "roll-your-own" tobacco, which means any tobacco which, because of its appearance, type, packaging, or labeling is suitable for use and likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as tobacco for making cigarettes. For purposes of this definition of 'cigarette,' 0.09 ounces of "roll-your-own" tobacco shall constitute one individual 'cigarette.'"

There is no way this definition is broad enough to include electronic cigarettes.

Robert H. Smallenberg
In-House Counsel
Teamhealthechoice

 

[Slickstick]

From what this sounds like, is not illegal but it is also up to the bar owner. I would think bars that allow E-cigs would get more business than the ones that will not.

 

[Mac]

It certainly hasn't hurt sales. That is for certain.

 

[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!