Widespread Smoking Ban Considered in State Legislature

Publication Date: 2014-03-25

• Author:My Champlain Valley FOX44 & ABC22

The list of places where you can smoke in Vermont might be getting shorter.

A bill working its way through the State Legislature would ban smoking in many new places, including any indoor location where the public has access. That includes offices, restaurants, stores, businesses and any sort of lodging, like a hotel or motel. Most hotels are already voluntarily smoke-free, but others like the Quality Inn in Colchester still offer smoking rooms. Those would be banned under this bill.

The ban would extend to certain outdoor locations as well, like within 25 feet of state offices and hospitals.The Vermont Veteran's Home would be the only exception to that. It would also prohibit smoking outside child care facilities or on public school grounds, or at public school events.

Finally, the bill would ban smoking in cars with children of car-seat age. That was a last-minute amendment when the bill passed the House of Representatives. Tuesday, pediatricians spoke to a senate panel about the effect of secondhand smoke on children...