Governor signs bill to make bars smoke-free

Publication Date: 2007-06-26

• Author:Dave Hogan
• Publication:The Oregonian

Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed the indoor smoking ban Tuesday that will make all Oregon bars, bingo halls and bowling lanes smoke-free beginning in January 2009.

The smoking ban is an expanded version of a smoke-free workplace bill that the Legislature passed in 2001. That ban exempted bars, bingo halls and bowling lanes, which have been allowed to continue having smoking...

The effective date of the expanded smoking ban was put off, however, due to concerns about money. State revenue officials estimate the ban will reduce the state's cigarette tax revenues by more than $20 million a year, some of that because of Southwest Washington smokers who would no longer be able to smoke in Oregon businesses to avoid Washington's indoor smoking ban.