D.C. Council Legalizes Cigar-Smoking Events

Publication Date: 2010-03-05

• Author:Andrew Nagy
• Publication:Cigar Aficionado

The Washington D.C., City Council on Tuesday passed an amendment that will exempt hotels from the current smoking ban and allow them to host a special cigar-smoking event once per year.

Introduced by Councilman Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, the Special Event Exemption Emergency Act of 2010, which passed the council vote by a 10-3 margin, contains language outlining how a hotel can gain an exemption.

Firstly, 500 or more people must be attending the event and the hotel must have a space big enough to host this number of guests. Secondly, a hotel will need to notify the Department of Health before the cigar event and pay a fee of $250.

"It needs to be a big event," said Evans.

The councilman was referring to the annual St. Patrick's Day dinner put on by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, a social organization that includes many of Washington's elite Irishmen.