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City smoking bans still stand

Publication Date: 2006-04-12
  • Author:Doug Thompson
  • Publication:Arkansas News Bureau

Local smoking bans will still cover some circumstances not covered by the new statewide smoking ban approved last week, officials in cities with no-smoking ordinances said Tuesday.

The state law, which will take effect in July, prohibits smoking in most workplaces, including restaurants and other employers with more than three workers. Establishments open only to people 21 and older are exempt. . . .

The state law doesn't mention food at all, Williams said, so there is a difference between Fayetteville's definition of a bar and the state's exemption for 21-year-old patrons, which applies to bars.

Williams said he did not know how much the difference will matter.

"The state law has basically no effect on city ordinances, which remain in effect as long as they are more strict than the state law," Williams said. "A city ordinance doesn't overrule state law. A city ordinance can't make things less strict than state law."

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