North Carolina lawmakers ease smoking ban

North Carolina Senators limited the coverage of the introduced proposal of statewide indoor smoking ban, with the revised ban includes only eating businesses. This compromise was praised neither by ban opponents nor by its supporters.

The revised proposal was passed by a overwhelming majority of votes in the Senate Public Health Care and Sanitary Committee that approved a more strict legislation just several days ago by a little more than a half of votes. However, the proposal returned to the Committee a week later because Democrat senators stated that they did not manage to collect enough votes to approve the ban that would prohibit smoking at work places.

According to the bill sponsor and main supporter Sen. Bill Purcell said that after the alterations to the bill had been approved by the Health Committee it would be high time for Senate members to approve it as well. The debates over the revised bill are expected to begin later this week.

Health Committee vice-chairman also stated the revised and narrowed ban would still have a great positive impact on the health of North Carolina residents and contribute to cutting the State expenses on the health care and complications caused by second-hand smoke.

Health advocates have been pushing for at least four years to get a wide-ranging smoking ban through the Legislature in a state that is the nation's leading tobacco producer. But other states rich in heritage with the golden leaf - most recently Virginia in March - have snuffed out smoking tobacco in restaurant and bars.

According to the legislation that was approved by 17 votes to 4 in the Health Care Committee, indoor smoking in all establishments that serve food and drinks will be banned. The exemptions include private clubs and cigar bars. However, the restaurant owners are permitted to launch special patios for smoking customers, because patios with fewer than two walls would be exempted from the ban as well.

Lawmakers preoccupied with the wide coverage of the ban were satisfied with the revised regulation approved.

The committee vice chairman stated that the issue with smoking ban has been a highly controversial one; therefore all members of the committee have been comfortable about the revised bill approval.

Yet, activist groups on both opposing sides of the ban issue weren't not delighted with the deal reached in the committee. After the revised ban had been passed by the Committee, ban supporters stated that the ban easing would prompt thousands North Carolina workers to be exposed to hazardous second-hand smoke at their working places.

In accordance with North Carolina Public Health Department reports, in 2006 the State spent up to $300 million at treating smoking and second-hand smoke related illnesses.

Howard Long, representative of American Cancer Association said that the revised ban has showed the hypocrisy of the lawmakers who have prohibited indoor smoking in all administrative buildings including the State Legislative Building and North Carolina State Capitol, but fell under the pressure of cigarette companies and denied to impose the ban on smoking at work places. The opponents of the indoor smoking ban included local restaurant owners, cigarette manufacturers, North Carolina Tobacco Growers Association and retailers.

Representative of Lorillard Tobacco Co based in Greensboro stated that with the approval of the bill the restaurants owners would definitely loose their clients since they did not have any legal options to accommodate their smoking visitors.