D.C. Council Passes Smoking Ban

WASHINGTON - Despite hours of often heated debate, members of the D.C Council have passed a smoking ban.

The council approved the ban on Wednesday by a vote of 11 to 1, with one council member absent.

The legislation – which will take effect January 2007 – would ban smoking in most places with the exception of hotel rooms, medical research facilities, cigar and hookah bars and tobacco stores.

Bars, restaurants, brew pubs, taverns and nightclubs that earn at least 10-percent of their revenue through tobacco sales would also be exempt.

Councilwoman Carol Schwartz was the only council member to vote against the smoking ban and says she feels good knowing she's "not responsible for taking away civil liberties [from] consenting adults making free choices."

The approval of the smoking ban was "historic," Councilwoman Kathy Patterson says.

"We're moving in a very, very good direction and I'm hoping that with time that we can perhaps even strengthen our smoke-free bill," she says.

The council rejected a slew of amendments, including a proposal by Councilman Adrian Fenty to move up the date the restriction would go into effect to July 2006 instead of January 2007.

Backers of the new measures have been trying since 2004 to pass a ban on smoking in most indoor locations.

(Copyright 2006 by WTOP and The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

As most other jurisidictions have proven, a smoking ban does not really affect levels of patronage. Friends in California has told me people get used to it and a ban actually helps business. It's a great day for DC!

yay FREEDOM!!!

And in related news, the 9:30 Club is looking into ways they can designate the upstairs portion of the club as a "hookah bar".

yay! pity Fentys amednment didn't pass, oh well, 361 days to go :D

yay, government once again imposes its will upon the people! yay!!!

Shame they have to make any laws at all. Damn the government!

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
yay, government once again imposes its will upon the people! yay!!!

In Va there's some laws saying bars have to make a certian % of profit from food sales to be in compliance with ABC laws. To be in compliance,in like '88 or '89 this one bar in Richmond called the Jade Elephant would give a coupon for one free hotdog to every person that paid the cover charge. So basically to get in you bought a hotdog that you did not eat.

Maybe 9:30 and Black Cat could do something like this with cigarettes?

Welcome to 1998.

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
Shame they have to make any laws at all. Damn the government!

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
yay, government once again imposes its will upon the people! yay!!!

shame that they decided to legislate what people can and can't do. a person can choose not to go out to a bar and can choose to drink at home.

everyone loves the govt when they make a law that suits them.

lets hope for Rhetts sake they dont ban shitty country music in DC bars next..

Originally posted by Random Citizen:
medical research facilities

Good one. :eek:

Well if people went around taking dumps on the floor at bars and restaurants, I'm all for them legislating that, too.

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:

Originally posted by Charlie Nakatestes, Japanese Golfer:
Shame they have to make any laws at all. Damn the government!

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
yay, government once again imposes its will upon the people! yay!!!

shame that they decided to legislate what people can and can't do. a person can choose not to go out to a bar and can choose to drink at home.

Thankfully, you can still moon in Maryland.

yay, i can finally quit.

Originally posted by Venerable Bede:
yay, government once again imposes its will upon the people! yay!!!

awwwwww, the libertarian is all upset - boo hoo

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Thankfully, you can still moon in Maryland.

but can you play randy newman's "short people" on the radio?

Originally posted by SalParadise:
yay, i can finally quit.

I thought you were quitting after that last packet of Fortuna's!

The timing of this sucks. I put up with cigarette smoke at shows for 20+ years, and the year that I'm planning on effectively retiring from going to clubs is the year they ban smoking. Great. But I guess I should be happy for the rest of the clubgoing DC audience.

Originally posted by brennser:

Originally posted by SalParadise:
yay, i can finally quit.

I thought you were quitting after that last packet of Fortuna's!

ha, yeah i know..i'm losing that battle. but i'm quitting in february. for real!