Codey Makes It Illegal To Smoke In Bars...

[Zim Hosein]

WEST ORANGE, N.J. -- With a flick of the pen, Gov. Richard J. Codey Sunday kicked New Jersey's indoor smoking habit.

In one of his last acts as governor, Codey Sunday signed the New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act in West Orange, making it illegal to light up in New Jersey bars, restaurants and most other public places with the exception of casino floors.

"Public health has won a major battle in Trenton," said Codey before signing the legislation. "People will live longer lives because of this law. People who don't smoke will be protected from a killer they never intended to meet...we will remove the looming death cloud that hangs over the head of every New Jerseyan - smoker or nonsmoker."

Codey also signed separate legislation raising the age at which a person can legally buy tobacco from 18 to 19. According to Fred M. Jacobs, commissioner for the state Department of Health and Senior Services, 90 percent of people start smoking before they're 19 years old. He praised both pieces of legislation.

"The data says smoking kills people, that it's not just an annoyance," Jacobs said. "That's where we got the traction to get this done."

The indoor smoking ban is designed to protect customers and employees from the dangers of second hand smoke and will go into effect April 15.

Smoking is already outlawed in government buildings. The legislation signed Sunday would also outlaw smoking in private office buildings, although -- since many private businesses already restrict smoking -- the focus has been on places like restaurants and bars.

The legislation makes New Jersey the 11th state with such a ban, joining Delaware and New York, among others.

Some business owners who rely on customers who puff away say their businesses will suffer withdrawals from the ban.

"It's going to hurt all of our businesses," said John Italiano, owner of the Park Tavern in East Rutherford. "I'm going to have to put a sign in the window that says, 'no smoking, that's it'."

In a raucous rally last week, hundreds of people and a handful of strippers turned up on the Statehouse steps to protest the legislation. Bowling alley operators have also sued the state to block the ban, but their request was thrown out by a Superior Court judge.

In a controversial move, Atlantic City casino floors were exempted from the bill because proponents say the ban could hurt one of the state's biggest employers and sources of income.

Karen Blumenfeld, a director for the organization New Jersey Group Against Smoking Pollution, said in the future her group will lobby to include casinos floors in the ban.

"Casino workers are getting smoked out of their workplaces," Blumenfeld said. "They deserve a healthy, safe workplace like everyone else. The concentration of second hand smoke is extremely high and they're getting lung cancer because of it."

Last week, the Assembly voted 64-12, with two abstentions, in favor of the smoking ban, after the state Senate passed the measure 29-7 on Dec. 15.

In addition to casino floors, cigar bars and tobacco retailers are also exempt from the law. Restaurants and other establishments that violate the smoking ban would have to pay a fine between $250 and $1,000.

Codey Makes It Illegal To Smoke In Bars

 

[ironcrotch]

yay for fascism ++

 

[Anubis]

good, its illegal in MA and in NY

its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Great to be able to go to the bar and not reek of ass when you get home
its also funny to watch people freeze their asses off in boston in febuary smoking outside bars and clubs

 

[Leper Messiah]

fvck that. I'm not visiting new jesery. whats next, your own home?!

 

[IronWing]

Exempting casinos is dumb. No reason for it.

 

[toekramp]

while i love not stinking when i get home from a bar... it shouldn't be illegal

 

[mugs]

"In a raucous rally last week, hundreds of people and a handful of strippers turned up on the Statehouse steps to protest the legislation."

 

[aphex]

I like how Florida does it. If the facility sales are derived from over a certain percentage of food, no smoking. This exempts the true bars, but keeps the food establishments smoke free.

 

[daniel1113]

Too bad. Such a ban should be a decision for restaurant/bar owners to make.

 

[Amused]

Yea for the futher erosion of private property rights.

 

[talyn00]

Originally posted by: Anubis
good, its illegal in MA and in NY

its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Great to be able to go to the bar and not reek of ass when you get home
its also funny to watch people freeze their asses off in boston in febuary smoking outside bars and clubs

Yeah! now I can just come home smelling of alcohol.

 

[Leper Messiah]

Originally posted by: talyn00

Originally posted by: Anubis
good, its illegal in MA and in NY

its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Great to be able to go to the bar and not reek of ass when you get home
its also funny to watch people freeze their asses off in boston in febuary smoking outside bars and clubs

Yeah! now I can just come home smelling of alcohol.

and vomit or cheap perfume.

 

[codeyf]

I've done no such thing!





But I can't complain

 

[HN]

this is all of Jersey, yes?

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: toekramp
while i love not stinking when i get home from a bar... it shouldn't be illegal

 

[KarenMarie]

they exempted casinos because the politicians are in the back pockets of the casino owners. with the millions they get every year in revenue....

so, they did this for the health of the employees... because they care so much. for every employee BUT the casino workers.

if pissed me off that they did this. i can understand restuarants... but not bars. hellfire it is a bar!!! drinking, smoking, swearing... it is a bar.

and i think it sucks for private bar owners. they dont get a break on property taxes or income taxes or any other kind of break. they just get dictated to.

 

[gotsmack]

this is stupid, if a food establishment offers a smoking and non smoking section seperated by big glass dividers there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Linux23]

Originally posted by: KarenMarie
they exempted casinos because the politicians are in the back pockets of the casino owners. with the millions they get every year in revenue....

so, they did this for the health of the employees... because they care so much. for every employee BUT the casino workers.

if pissed me off that they did this. i can understand restuarants... but not bars. hellfire it is a bar!!! drinking, smoking, swearing... it is a bar.

and i think it sucks for private bar owners. they dont get a break on property taxes or income taxes or any other kind of break. they just get dictated to.

well, you've said pretty much everything I want to say.

 

[Sphexi]

It's illegal in VT, and I didn't even know. One night I was hanging out with some co-workers, who kept going outside (into the 5F weather) to smoke, and I asked the owner why, and he told me the law had gone into effect the week before. Hasn't hurt his business much, barflys still need booze, and most are stubborn enough to stick with the habit despite having to suffer outside.

 

[Kadarin]

It's been illegal in California for years now, and to be honest, bars are much nicer places to hang out for it. I absolutely hated leaving and smelling like an ashtray. People adapted, and it's all good here.

 

[Vic]

Yay! 100k people die from alcohol each year. No provable documented deaths from secondhand smoke. We are making this world a safer place goddamnit! Where we can drink our alcoholic poison without the threat of secondhand smoke!

 

[CrazyShiz]

Originally posted by: Vic
Yay! 100k people die from alcohol each year. No provable documented deaths from secondhand smoke. We are making this world a safer place goddamnit! Where we can drink our alcoholic poison without the threat of secondhand smoke!

The difference is, you can't make someone drink. You CAN however, force someone to suck in your gross smoke by way of proximity.


If smoking didn't affect people who didn't want to be affected, it wouldn't be banned indoors. Simple as that.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: CrazyShiz

Originally posted by: Vic
Yay! 100k people die from alcohol each year. No provable documented deaths from secondhand smoke. We are making this world a safer place goddamnit! Where we can drink our alcoholic poison without the threat of secondhand smoke!

The difference is, you can't make someone drink. You CAN however, force someone to suck in your gross smoke by way of proximity.


If smoking didn't affect people who didn't want to be affected, it wouldn't be banned indoors. Simple as that.

I'm sorry... are you saying that you go into BARS to not drink?

 

[CrazyShiz]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: CrazyShiz

Originally posted by: Vic
Yay! 100k people die from alcohol each year. No provable documented deaths from secondhand smoke. We are making this world a safer place goddamnit! Where we can drink our alcoholic poison without the threat of secondhand smoke!

The difference is, you can't make someone drink. You CAN however, force someone to suck in your gross smoke by way of proximity.


If smoking didn't affect people who didn't want to be affected, it wouldn't be banned indoors. Simple as that.

I'm sorry... are you saying that you go into BARS to not drink?

lol, no I'm saying I don't go into bars to SMOKE. The only way this law would be rediculous would be if they banned smoking in cigar lounges, where the whole point is to smoke. Or banned the consumption of alcohol in bars. It may be enjoyable to smoke in a bar, but it is not one of the sole points of the establishment.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: CrazyShiz

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: CrazyShiz

Originally posted by: Vic
Yay! 100k people die from alcohol each year. No provable documented deaths from secondhand smoke. We are making this world a safer place goddamnit! Where we can drink our alcoholic poison without the threat of secondhand smoke!

The difference is, you can't make someone drink. You CAN however, force someone to suck in your gross smoke by way of proximity.


If smoking didn't affect people who didn't want to be affected, it wouldn't be banned indoors. Simple as that.

I'm sorry... are you saying that you go into BARS to not drink?

lol, no I'm saying I don't go into bars to SMOKE. The only way this law would be rediculous would be if they banned smoking in cigar lounges, where the whole point is to smoke. Or banned the consumption of alcohol in bars. It may be enjoyable to smoke in a bar, but it is not one of the sole points of the establishment.

And you own all these bars you go into? That you get to decide the "sole points of the establishment"?