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News Summary

Most restaurants, bars embrace state's smoke-free law

Publication Date: 2010-11-28
  • Author:Philip Walzer
  • Publication:Norfolk (VA) Virginian-Pilot

"I think the numbers show that the restaurant and hospitality industry have embraced the new law, and the general public has, also," Hagy said last week.

That doesn't mean the restaurants and bars have gone smoke-free.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Poppa's Pub Sportz Bar & Grill in Virginia Beach was thrumming. The bar and most of the tables were packed - with smokers.

Only one area was empty - a small room toward the front with four tables. That's the non smoking room at Poppa's.

It's legal. The law, which will turn one year old Wednesday, doesn't require restaurants and bars to ban smoking indoors, as did a North Carolina law that took effect in January.

They may establish separate smoking and non smoking areas if they are "structurally separated" and "separately vented" and if the nonsmoking room has one entrance from outside. The law does not mandate a minimum size for the rooms, Hagy said.

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