Drastic New Pennsylvania Smoking Ban Proposed

Dive bars, casinos, restaurant patios, and private clubs are all on the hit list.

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Those of you who still like to smoke cigarettes in dives like McGlinchey’s and Locust Bar or light up cigars on the deck or patio of your favorite restaurant may soon be out of luck thanks to a Pennsylvania smoking ban proposed by State Senator Stewart Greenleaf and State Representative Mario Scavello.

I read through Senate Bill No. 80 and House Bill No. 1485, looking for the usual list of exemptions, and there are very few.

The Senate bill seeks a Pennsylvania smoking ban that will include all of the following:

• A full service truck stop.

• A residential facility.

• A private club.

• A drinking establishment.

• A gaming floor.

• Any outdoor deck, patio or similar outdoor service which is part of a food or drinking establishment.

As for “residential facility,” don’t worry, the proposed Pennsylvania smoking ban won’t prohibit you from smoking in your home. At least not yet. This term covers places like adult care facilities.

Aaron Zappia, Greenleaf’s spokesperson, says that the only real exemption in the Senate bill is for cigar lounges, since, as he puts it, “people go there specifically to smoke.” Hmm. I’ll try to keep myself from wondering how many state legislators like to light up a stogie now and again.

Greenleaf led the charge for the 2008 Pennsylvania smoking ban. “It’s just a killer,” Greenleaf told The Intelligencer earlier this week. “So as it becomes more and more unacceptable, we’d like to get this bill passed.”

POLL: Should the State Tighten the Smoking Ban?



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