Below is a listing of the latest news on legislative issues and anti-smoking movements affecting your personal freedom and rights to enjoy cigars. Get Involved, Learn about the Issues, and Take Action!
Smokers and restaurants fined for flouting Virginia laws against lighting up
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| August 18th, 2010, 02:11 PM | Virginia |
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After repeated complaints about people smoking in and around a group of Vietnamese restaurants in Falls Church, police have now arrested nine smokers for illegally lighting up and four others for allowing smoking in their establishments.
The 13 arrests for smoking came after months of complaints about the restaurants in Eden Center, which is home to a number of Vietnamese eateries and shops. Virginia officials said they are the first known charges related to the state's recent limitations on smoking in restaurants.
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Industry should cooperate with FDA, new tobacco chief says
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| May 25th, 2010, 02:11 PM | Virginia |
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WILLIAMSBURG -- After telling a sobering story about a Vietnam veteran who survived battle, AIDS, drug addiction and kidney disease before succumbing to lung cancer from smoking cigarettes, the physician who leads the federal office that regulates tobacco told an industry group he wants to be sure new government oversight is tough but fair.
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Private club aims to keep cigar smoking sociable
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| May 10th, 2010, 02:11 PM | Virginia |
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David Meyer leaned back in a leather-upholstered chair and smoked a Davidoff Aniversario No. 3. Seated nearby, Kelly Morrison savored a Davidoff 1000 and Rich Carney a Davidoff Puro D'Oro.
The three lounged and puffed in the members-only Commonwealth Cigar Club one floor above David and Renee Meyer's Milan Tobacconists retail store in Roanoke.
An annual fee of $1,000 and a biometric lock that reads fingerprints offer entry into the not-for-profit club, which formally opened April 16. Cigar aficionados living outside a 50-mile radius pay $500.
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Smoking bans march across region
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| November 30th, 2009, 01:11 PM | Virginia |
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The District was first to clear the ashtrays from its taverns in 2007. Maryland pushed its smokers outside not long after, in 2008. And on Tuesday, so goes Virginia.
The march of smoking bans in bars and restaurants across the region has made lighting up while dining out a practical impossibility for many people. And Virginia's ban -- which kicks in Tuesday -- leaves the Washington area with a only a handful of venues where a customer can hold a drink in one hand and a cigarette in another.
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Local restaurants prepare for smoking ban
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| November 28th, 2009, 01:11 PM | Virginia |
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An anti-smoking law will go into effect Tuesday that will ban smoking in a majority of the state’s restaurants. Although many local dining establishments already voluntarily made their facilities smoke-free, the move will be a major change for several of the holdouts.
“I know a lot of our customers are unhappy about it,” said Ron Bishop one of the owners of Mill Street Grill, which will make the transition Tuesday to a non-smoking establishment.
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Virginia restaurants' smoke soon to clear
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| September 30th, 2009, 06:22 AM | Virginia |
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Sally Simpson has two more months to sit where she feels most comfortable at Community Inn in Roanoke -- the bar.
Perched atop a bar stool at the Grandin Village watering hole on a recent evening, she lifted her cigarette to her lips.
"I'm awfully comfortable sitting at the bar," she said. Hesitating, she added, "I'm going to miss that."
Come Dec. 1, if Simpson wants to smoke, she'll have to sit in a back room at Community Inn that's closed off from the rest of the narrow eatery's booths and bar area.
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Smoking law may amount to ban
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| May 17th, 2009, 12:17 PM | Virginia |
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MAY 10 - Patrick Henry's Grill and Pub in East Richmond has a smoking area downstairs, but no smoking in the upstairs dining area. Owner Eric Warner recently prohibited smoking in the entire restaurant until after 9 p.m.
With a new law going into effect in Virginia in December that puts more restrictions on, but does not entirely ban, smoking in restaurants, Warner said he's likely to make his restaurant smoke-free, despite his concerns about how some customers might react.
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Virginia snuffs out freedom
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| March 12th, 2009, 08:51 PM | Virginia |
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MAR 12 - When, in the wilds of what became Virginia , the first English settlers met Pocahontas and other natives, they were welcomed with tobacco. Today they would have told to put it out.
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine signed a restaurant smoking ban this week, following New York, California and other Democrat-dominated states. The law bars smoking in all restaurants (but not bars), unless the eatery has a separate room with a government-approved ventilation system.
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Gov. Kaine signs smoking ban bill in Virginia Beach
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| March 10th, 2009, 02:16 PM | Virginia |
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MAR 10 - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine signed legislation Monday that bans smoking in bars and restaurants in Virginia, a state that first traded in tobacco nearly four centuries ago.
The ban takes effect Dec. 1 and covers just about any public place people would eat or drink. A restaurant, under the law, can offer a smoking section only if that area is walled off and has its own ventilation. Private clubs are exempt.
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For bowling alleys and pool halls, smoking bill is cloudy
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| March 2nd, 2009, 07:02 PM | Virginia |
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VIRGINIA BEACH, MAR 2 - Candy Mitchum runs Pinboys at the Beach on Laskin Road. The bowling center offers beer and snack-bar foods like burgers, hot dogs, fries, sandwiches.
"You wouldn't, I think, come in and order dinner," Mitchum says, "unless you were bowling."
But Mitchum learned something interesting while following the news that the General Assembly had passed a bill prohibiting smoking in restaurants: She's not running a bowling center; she's operating a restaurant.
Because of the way Virginia law defines restaurants, Mitchum and a handful of other businesses will find themselves in a legal cinch knot: The law says that if a place serves alcohol, at least 45 percent of its revenue must come from food.
If a place serves food, that makes it a restaurant.
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General Assembly passes smoking ban
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| February 19th, 2009, 04:31 PM | Virginia |
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FEB 19 - The two chambers of the Virginia General Assembly voted this afternoon to pass a ban on smoking in restaurants except where there is a separately ventilated smoking room.
It now goes to Gov. Tim Kaine, who told reporters “I think it will be signed quite promptly in the quickest drying ink I can find.”
The legislature's passage of the bill is a historic landmark in a state that founded its economy on tobacco and is still home to Philip Morris USA – maker of Marlboro cigarettes and one of the world's largest tobacco manufacturers.
“It's just an idea whose time has come,” said Del. John Cosgrove, R-Chesapeake, who sponsored the House version of the bill.
The core of the bill is a compromise that had been agreed to by Kaine and House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford County, earlier this month. It bans smoking in all restaurants except for private clubs and restaurants with separately ventilated smoking sections.
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The Small Events That Foreshadow Liberty's Demise
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| February 15th, 2009, 11:26 AM | Virginia |
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FEB 15 - History teaches us that the source of the greatest calamities is to be found in a series of the smallest events. The rise of Hitler can be located in the fine-print of the Treaty of Versailles. Conversely, the world-changing liberty that Patrick Henry thundered in St. John's Church was born in the hearts of a few brave woodsmen who compelled a king to affirm Magna Carta.
But our liberties are fragile. And government at every level chips away at them every day.
The Virginia tradition of liberty -- which became in time the American form of liberty -- is founded, not upon governmental action, but upon the daily determination of our citizens to be and to do two things: to be self-governing, through discipline, frugality, and prudence; and, to be neighborly.
The principal craftsman of our Constitution, James Madison, insisted that it is not in a piece of parchment that our freedoms flourish. No, our liberty exists, is experienced, and is preserved in the customs, the social manners, the interchanges between free peoples, the private associations that individuals form, and in the institutions that are "intermediate" between the people and their government.
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Scaled-down smoking ban approved by Virginia House
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| February 10th, 2009, 07:26 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, FEB 10 - A statewide ban on smoking in most restaurants and bars was watered down and approved by the House of Delegates on Monday.
A series of amendments supported by Republicans and rural Democrats left the measure well short of its original aim to outlaw smoking in all eateries except those that build enclosed areas with separate ventilation systems for puffers.
Saying the measure would force many small restaurant and bar owners out of business, the House erased the separate ventilation requirement and voted to permit smoking in any room separated from the rest of the establishment by a door.
The House also approved amendments that:
- Allow smoking in any establishment during hours they do not admit minors.
- Allow smoking when an entire restaurant has been rented for a private reception - if the owner is willing.
- Defer the start date for the proposed ban three months, to January 1, 2010.
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Smoking curbs clear hurdle in home of Marlboro man
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| February 9th, 2009, 12:02 PM | Virginia |
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FEB 9 - In a sign of how vilified smoking has become, lawmakers in Virginia — where the world's largest cigarette factory churns out Marlboros — passed curbs on smoking in restaurants.
Monday's 59-39 vote in the House of Delegates approved a watered-down bill that allows smoking only in private clubs, outdoor cafes, designated smoking rooms and establishments that are off-limits to minors.
And the proposed penalties are hardly draconian: a maximum civil fine of $25 for smokers or restaurateurs who defy the law.
The bill already exempted private clubs and outdoor patios. On Monday, it was further diluted by Republican amendments that would allow smoking in any establishment off-limits to minors and in any restaurant rented for a private, invitation-only event.
The Republican amendments now send the bill back to the Democrat-dominated Senate, where it faces a dubious fate.
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GOP Lawmakers Report Compromise on Smoking Ban
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| February 4th, 2009, 01:57 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, Feb. 4 -- House Speaker William J. Howell has thrown his support behind a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, a major reversal that could help the legislation accelerate through the General Assembly, GOP delegates said Wednesday.
In recent years, proposals to ban smoking have been defeated in the Republican-controlled House, with Howell quietly blocking attempts to bring them to the floor for a vote.
But Howell told Republican House members Wednesday afternoon that he now supports a "limited" smoking ban. Howell told delegates he met with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who has made the ban one of his top legislative priorities, and the two men agreed to move forward with a compromise, lawmakers said.
Howell told his caucus that he and Kaine plan a news conference, perhaps as early as Thursday, to announce an agreement.
On Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled Senate approved four bills that would outlaw smoking in bars, restaurants and public places. Howell and Kaine agreed to draft a narrower version of the Senate bills, though some details are unresolved, sources familiar with the discussions said. Some legislators said they are hopeful that the compromise would allow for limited smoking in bars during certain hours but not in eating areas.
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Bills to Restrict Smoking Pass Va Senate
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| February 3rd, 2009, 02:18 PM | Virginia |
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FEB 3 - Bills that would outlaw lighting up in bars, restaurants and public places won Virginia Senate passage Tuesday.
With no debate and scant dissent, the four bills rushed through the Democratic-controlled Senate by comfortable margins.
But they now head to the Republican-run House where smoking bans have gone for years to die.
Two of the bills would allow cities and counties to tailor smoking bans to their own tastes.
The measure sponsored by Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, passed on a 23-16 vote and spawned the only dissent voiced on the floor.
Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, incredulously asked Lucas whether the bill "would allow localities to ban smoking anywhere they want, including businesses, including homes, including cars ... anywhere?"
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Bills banning smoking move forward in Va Senate
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| January 30th, 2009, 01:00 AM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, JAN 29 - A state Senate panel this morning passed a slew of bills that would place restrictions on public smoking in certain venues.
Three of the proposals that advanced from the Senate Education and Health committee are sponsored by South Hampton Roads legislators. Sens. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Fred Quayle, R-Suffolk, are both carrying bills that would give localities enhanced powers to restrict indoor smoking.
Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, has a bill that would ban smoking in indoor restaurants and bars. That measure has the backing of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, who this year has proposed a 30-cent tax hike on cigarettes to help balance the recession-ravaged state budget.
Another bill that was introduced by Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple, D-Arlington, would ban smoking indoors in most public buildings.
Each bill passed the committee on identical 11-3 votes.
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Smoking bills may test if tobacco is still king in VA
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| January 25th, 2009, 02:03 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, JAN 25 - When Ben Moskowitz goes out to eat, he takes his wife, his wallet and a prescription inhalant for his chronic bronchitis.
He tries to avoid restaurants that allow smoking. But sometimes when he's away from home or in a crowded shopping mall, there aren't options.
"If there's smoke in the air, even back in the kitchen, I start coughing my head off," said Moskowitz, 83, a retired Virginia Beach electrician.
Should state government protect Moskowitz and millions of others by banning smoking in restaurants? The debate is fuming in the General Assembly this winter, where lawmakers are considering about a dozen bills that would limit lighting up.
A coalition of health-care groups, saying the costs of secondhand smoke on lives and the economy are too great to ignore, wants to ban smoking in restaurants. The measure is endorsed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and appears to have safe passage though the state Senate, which has approved the ban in each of the past two years.
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150 smoke-ban supporters lobby at Capitol
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| January 22nd, 2009, 07:03 PM | Virginia |
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JAN 22 - Supporters of stricter indoor-smoking laws and higher cigarette taxes in Virginia turned out yesterday to lobby state lawmakers.
About 150 volunteers descended on the Capitol, urging legislators to vote for bills that would crack down on smoking in workplaces and increase the state's cigarette tax to $1.20 from 30 cents per pack. A coalition of public-health groups organized the effort.
"In Virginia, where tobacco is such a significant part of our history, it can take a lot of courage to stand up for smoke-free legislation," Del. David L. Englin, D-Alexandria, told volunteers who gathered at the Library of Virginia before going to the Capitol. "You represent the 75 percent of Virginians who want to see this happen."
Englin is carrying legislation in the House of Delegates proposed by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine that would prohibit smoking in all restaurants. At least 13 other bills dealing with indoor smoking have been introduced, including three that would impose broad restrictions on smoking in indoor, public areas.
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Efforts to limit smoking ignite
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| January 22nd, 2009, 06:27 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, JAN 22 -- It's one of the rare times a roomful of Virginians have applauded a proposed tax increase.
For 150 people who visited the Library of Virginia on Wednesday to rally for bills to ban smoking in restaurants and other places, David Englin's pitch to raise the cigarette tax by 89 cents per pack was a breath of fresh air.
The bill by Englin, D-Alexandria, would raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes from 30 cents per pack to $1.19 -- 59 cents more than what Gov. Tim Kaine has proposed.
It's one of at least 15 bills filed in the General Assembly this year that, if passed, would hit smokers in the pocketbook or restrict the number of places they can light up.
Englin's tax bill likely won't be passed -- Republicans and even Democrats from tobacco-producing areas have said they'll vote against Kaine's more modest cigarette tax increase -- but it does reflect the increasing number of lawmakers willing to take on an industry that's one of Virginia's most powerful and historic.
Anti-smoking legislation has been filed for years but received an extra boost in 2006 when then-Sen. Brandon Bell of Roanoke County successfully shepherded a ban on indoor smoking in public places through the Senate.
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Sen. measure allowing local smoking limits stalls
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| January 20th, 2009, 02:00 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP), JAN 20 -- A Senate bill that would allow Virginia localities to enact their own restrictions on smoking in restaurants has stalled in committee.
The Committee on Local Government deadlocked Tuesday on two votes -- one to outright reject the legislation, the other to refer the bill to a more favorable committee. The 6-6 votes means the bill can resurface this session before the same committee.
The proposed legislation has been pushed by several localities, which have sought approval to restrict restaurant smoking.
Statewide smoking restrictions have repeatedly failed in the General Assembly. Representatives of retail merchants and the hospitality industry argued against the Senate proposal, contending many restaurants are voluntarily choosing to limit smoking.
They said to impose local limits would harm businesses already suffering in an already brutal economy.
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RICHMOND '09: Local student's smoking concerns lead to bill
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| January 19th, 2009, 02:00 PM | Virginia |
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RICHMOND, JAN 19 — Smoke will be curling through the General Assembly's agenda this session, but there's no fire.
Legislators such as Sen. Ralph S. Northam have noted this year an increased concern with how smoking affects not only those who light up but also people nearby.
“If you talk to Virginians, about 75 percent of them would like to be able to go into a restaurant and not be exposed to secondhand smoke,” said Northam, a neurologist and pediatrician who represents the Eastern Shore and parts of Tidewater in the Senate.
“It's a health issue,” he said.
Northam is sponsoring two bills this session to address the matter — Senate Bill 1105 and Senate Bill 1106.
SB 1105 would ban smoking in all indoor restaurants, lounge areas and bars in Virginia. It also would require the venue to erect “No Smoking” signs. The bill would add a penalty for such violations to the Virginia Indoor Clean Air Act, which passed in 1990.
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Beach council backs proposed state smoking ban
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| January 14th, 2009, 11:28 AM | Virginia |
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JAN 14 - The City Council voted 9-2 on Tuesday to support state legislation that would ban smoking in restaurants.
Councilmen Harry Diezel and Bill DeSteph voted against the resolution. They said some restaurants should be allowed to welcome smokers.
The council supported a similar proposal last year. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine pushed for smoking bans in the 2007 and 2008 General Assembly sessions, but the legislation was defeated both times. Kaine plans to try again this year.
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Leaf industry, others to fight smoke ban
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| January 7th, 2009, 06:28 PM | Virginia |
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JAN 7 - Business and tobacco interests said they will fight Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's latest attempt to prohibit smoking in Virginia restaurants, while public health groups are seeking a broader workplace ban.
Saying he was "compelled by concern for the health and well-being of all Virginians," Kaine yesterday proposed a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants, including dining areas in public and private clubs. This is at least the third time Kaine has promoted such legislation.
Kaine backed a restaurant smoking ban that failed in last year's General Assembly session, partly because opponents said it could be interpreted to prohibit smoking at outdoor events and hot-dog carts.
This time, Kaine's proposal would exclude outdoor eating areas from the ban unless those areas can be enclosed.
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'Momentum' Seen for Smoke-Free Restaurants
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| January 7th, 2009, 06:28 PM | Virginia |
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JAN 7 - Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) yesterday renewed his bid to ban smoking at restaurants in the commonwealth, telling legislators and others gathered at an Arlington County restaurant that much has changed since the proposal was torpedoed last year.
Standing near a wood-burning pizza stove at the Liberty Tavern, Kaine said that scientific evidence, a change in General Assembly procedure and an expected barrage of proposals for restricting smoking, including some from Republicans, could make passage of some limits possible.
"The momentum for this bill is really moving the right way," Kaine said.
Tavern co-owner Stephen Fedorchak, standing before platters of Maryland and Vermont goat cheese, said his restaurant's decision to be smoke-free has been good for business. "We wanted the restaurant to smell like good food cooking," Fedorchak said.
But opponents of the bill, submitted this week by Del. David L. Englin (D-Alexandria), said restaurants should not be forced to prohibit smoking.
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Kaine will try for smoking ban
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| January 6th, 2009, 06:28 PM | Virginia |
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JAN 6 - State lawmakers are taking another crack at banning smoking in restaurants, hoping this year's General Assembly will be friendlier than in the past.
In Arlington County today, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine is expected to propose a statewide restaurant smoking ban as part of his 2009 legislative agenda.
Yesterday, Del. David L. Englin, D-Alexandria, filed legislation that would prohibit smoking in all indoor restaurants and bar and lounge areas. A violation would carry a $25 civil penalty.
"Especially in today's economy, it is wrong to force restaurant workers to choose between their jobs or breathing cancer-causing secondhand smoke," Englin said.
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