Smoking Ban in VA restaurants

While I would like to see restaurants go non-smoking, I do not support the legislature making it mandatory.  As a small business owner (non-restaurant), I should be able to determine what my business does and does not do regarding legal activity.  Smoking cigarettes is legal.  If a restaurant wants to allow their patrons to smoke, that should be my choice.

 Your choice, as a patron/customer, is whether or not you want to be exposed to the smoke by those customers who are smoking in the restaurant.

 How would you feel if the legislature decided to prevent the sale of swimming caps because small children could get a hold of it and suffocate, or prevent riding bicycles on all roads because too many people are being hit by cars, thus affecting both bicycle rider and car driver.

 Now with all of that said, if this law would pass, I would rejoice it because I am a non-smoker and I do not enjoy going to places that allow smoking.  However, in order to make sure I do not inhale secondhand smoke, I do not go to those restaurants that allow smoking.  My choice, not the govts.

 Just my two cents.

haha

X2

this is what, the 3rd time in 3 years they've tried to do this??  va is tobacco country, it will never work.

It would work...however, I just commerce where there is no smoking and reward them for making that decision on their own.  I am a small business owner as well, and I have enough hoops to jump through already and would like to have less government in my face.  What they really need to do is make the smoking area outside businesses, hospitals, etc., further from the entrance so that I do not have to venture through the smokers to get to my destination. 

Alan

Agreed with the opinion about businesses making a business decision.. I share that position.. it becomes a sticky subject when it comes to employment law and created a workplace environment where individuals are exposed to the pollutants..  sometimes the response is "find another job" .. unfortunately that doesn't cut it in employment law, tell that to the wheelchair bound accountant that has to take the stairs to get to their office and see the response

I don't care about the rest of the state. Just the counties near DC are fine with me Massachusetts did it that way. I bet they could get it passed in Arlington/Fairfax/Loudoun Counties.

I wasn't looking to start a debate on the merits of the bill.  Although I knew that would happen, I think political and religous discussions on the internet are a waste of time.  I was more looking to educate and provide an avenue for people to express their opinions in a way that will carry more weight.

Tonight I'm writing a letter/email to try and get a ban on buckets in transition. 

Ernie

Nice!! I'd be up for helping pass that legislation

I live in Loudoun and most restaurants here are already voluntarily doing it, thankfully.

What about buckets at aid stations (different purpose)?

It's an old joke...

Would the pollutant employment law then also apply to chemical plants, manufacturing plants, coroners officers, etc.  Good point though.  When you get into employment law, it is always a tricky situation, but in the end, it is always the workers choice to work in that environment (with pollutants).  With regard to handicapped, that falls under discrimination law, not employment law.

An easy solution for all is to support those establishments that already have voluntarily gone to non-smoking (like Carabbas in Midlothian, or PF Chang's in Stony Point and all of the others that I do not know) or the two clubs in Richmond mentioned in another thread, instead of going to other places where smoke is allowed like Capital Ale House or other places.

 And to original poster, thank you for the information.  It was very imformative and provided us with the information necessary to take the necessary steps that fit our beliefs.

Z  

I received the following from my delegate, Tom Rust today:

"Yesterday, the Speaker of the House announced that a compromise was struck with the Democrats in the House, the Senate, and the Governor to prohibit smoking in restaurants with certain key exceptions.  The exceptions include restaurants with a designated smoking room that is physically separated and independently ventilated from non-smoking dining areas, any permanent outdoor patio area of a restaurant, any portion of a restaurant that is used exclusively for private functions, any private club as well as street-side "hotdog" stands and other mobile points of food service.  I am very pleased that the Speaker of the House reached out to the Governor to facilitate this compromise.  Many constituents have contacted me over the years about these bills, and I have always supported efforts that move Virginia to being a more smoke-free state.  I look forward to voting in favor of this bill."

I didn't think even this would pass this year but it looks good as it's already passed in the Senate.

Ernie

I agree with this 100% and do not support this sort of legislation.    

Toad's Place and the National are the two clubs in Richmond.

I think all of the restaurants at the Short Pump mall are smoke free and almost all the ones at Stony Point are.

I checked the General Assembly's web page and saw no action today on the bill.  According to the Washington Post yesterday the compromise was still in effect.  Here's an excerpt from their article:

"When Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and Republican House Speaker William J. Howell announced that they had quietly brokered a compromise that would ban smoking in the state's bars and restaurants, anti-smoking advocates did not rejoice. They read the fine print.

Its about time! Too bad it doesn't start until December.