N.C. House poised to pass smoking ban

Publication Date: 2009-04-02

• Author:Benjamin Niolet
• Publication:News & Observer

The bill, which requires final House approval before moving to the state Senate, would outlaw smoking in most workplaces and restaurants. Most bars would be exempted.

The House voted Wednesday to outlaw smoking in most workplaces and restaurants in North Carolina, a move the ban's champion called a historic moment for a state built on tobacco.

The bill, which still requires one more vote before it can clear the House, was less stringent than the original proposal, which sought a sweeping ban of nearly all public smoking. The current version would exempt most bars, and it is not clear what effect that exemption would have on the bill's chances.

The state's restaurant industry may decide to withdraw its support for the ban for fear that it would give bars a competitive advantage over restaurants. The Senate, which will take up the issue next, could roll back the exemption or change the bill in other ways.