Looking to enjoy a little cigar with your old fashioned in downtown Lincoln? Too late.
Nebraska's long-awaited cigar-smoking ban is in effect as of Thursday, according to a message Jake’s Cigars & Spirits posted to its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon.
The change comes after an Aug. 29 Nebraska Supreme Court decision that effectively banned the practice. Nebraska’s 11 cigar bars had previously operated under an exception to the court’s 2008 ban on indoor smoking.
State Sen. Tyson Larson of O’Neill is sponsoring a bill that would allow cigar smoking to continue in bars such as Jake’s. The hearing for his bill will take place Monday.
In a November Daily Nebraskan article, Jake’s manager Jason “Hutch” Hutchison said the loss of indoor smoking wouldn’t “be as bad as people think” for the bar.
“We’ve rolled with the punches for 15 years,” he said. “There’s been times when things were really thin, and now things are really booming.”
Buy Captain Black Little Cigars at http://www.dotcigarettes.com/captain-black
Friday, January 30, 2015
Friday, January 23, 2015
New Orleans Bans Smoking in Bars and Casinos
The Big Easy becomes one of the last major American cities to pass a sweeping smoking ban
The New Orleans City Council unanimously passed a ban on smoking in bars and gambling halls on Thursday. The law is applied to cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, pipes.
The law will take effect in about three months, the Associated Press reports. While owners of bars and casinos expressed concerns that the ban would hurt business, city officials decided the health of musicians and others exposed to secondhand smoke while working in those establishments is paramount.
New Orleans, a major tourism hub known for its nightlife, is one of the last major American cities to allow people to smoke in bars. Logan Gaskill, a lawyer for a large casino next to the French Quarter, estimated at the meeting that revenues would decline 20% as a result from the ban, the AP reports.
But lawmakers were convinced by a teary speech from Councilman James Gray II, who read off the names of people he knew who died from lung-cancer. Another member, Jason Williams, said they had an obligation to protect “the heart and soul” of New Orleans, the musicians and barroom workers.
The New Orleans City Council unanimously passed a ban on smoking in bars and gambling halls on Thursday. The law is applied to cigarettes, cigars, little cigars, pipes.
The law will take effect in about three months, the Associated Press reports. While owners of bars and casinos expressed concerns that the ban would hurt business, city officials decided the health of musicians and others exposed to secondhand smoke while working in those establishments is paramount.
New Orleans, a major tourism hub known for its nightlife, is one of the last major American cities to allow people to smoke in bars. Logan Gaskill, a lawyer for a large casino next to the French Quarter, estimated at the meeting that revenues would decline 20% as a result from the ban, the AP reports.
But lawmakers were convinced by a teary speech from Councilman James Gray II, who read off the names of people he knew who died from lung-cancer. Another member, Jason Williams, said they had an obligation to protect “the heart and soul” of New Orleans, the musicians and barroom workers.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Smoking restrictions kick in January 1
There will be fewer places for smokers to light up come the new year. New Ontario regulations that ban smoking on all bar and restaurant patios take effect Jan. 1.
At the same time, the province is prohibiting smoking on or around playgrounds and publicly-owned sports fields. The Ontario government will also no longer allow tobacco to be sold on university and college campuses.
“These changes are to protect kids and youth from accessing tobacco products and the harmful effects of smoking, and to protect the people of Ontario from exposure to tobacco use,” said Andrew Robertson, a spokesman for Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla. “Making smoking less visible will make it seem less socially acceptable to kids and can reduce the likelihood that they start smoking.”
The vast majority of Ontario residents support banning smoking on playgrounds and sports fields, he added. Sixty-five municipalities have already invoked bylaws to shelter kids on playgrounds from second-hand smoke, while 60 municipalities ban it on sports fields. The new Ontario-wide regulation means all children will get these protections, he said.
Under the new rules, there will be no smoking around basketball and soccer courts, ice rinks, tennis courts, splash pads and swimming pools owned by a municipality, province or a post-secondary institution.
Children’s playgrounds at motels, hotels and inns are also included in the smoking ban. Anti-tobacco activists heralded the changes as a positive step forward for people’s health.
At least one restaurant industry spokesman warned that customers will now move on to sidewalks for a puff, exposing passersby to secondhand smoke. Robertson said the current tobacco law prohibits smoking on covered bar and restaurant patios, but the new regulation extends to those that are completely open to the air.
“Evidence shows that nearly 70% of people in Ontario want completely smoke-free patios,” Robertson said. “People can still be exposed to second-hand smoke on patios, even uncovered patios, and this regulation will reduce people’s exposure to second-hand smoke, including children and youth.”
Some of the more controversial measures are still to come. Ontario intends to ban the sale of flavoured tobacco, including the popular menthol brands, within a few years.
One group has warned that adult smokers who like menthol will turn to contraband tobacco suppliers for their fix. NDP MPP France Gelinas, who has pushed hard for a ban on flavoured tobacco, said that these products are developed specifically to create a new generation of young smokers.
At the same time, the province is prohibiting smoking on or around playgrounds and publicly-owned sports fields. The Ontario government will also no longer allow tobacco to be sold on university and college campuses.
“These changes are to protect kids and youth from accessing tobacco products and the harmful effects of smoking, and to protect the people of Ontario from exposure to tobacco use,” said Andrew Robertson, a spokesman for Associate Health Minister Dipika Damerla. “Making smoking less visible will make it seem less socially acceptable to kids and can reduce the likelihood that they start smoking.”
The vast majority of Ontario residents support banning smoking on playgrounds and sports fields, he added. Sixty-five municipalities have already invoked bylaws to shelter kids on playgrounds from second-hand smoke, while 60 municipalities ban it on sports fields. The new Ontario-wide regulation means all children will get these protections, he said.
Under the new rules, there will be no smoking around basketball and soccer courts, ice rinks, tennis courts, splash pads and swimming pools owned by a municipality, province or a post-secondary institution.
Children’s playgrounds at motels, hotels and inns are also included in the smoking ban. Anti-tobacco activists heralded the changes as a positive step forward for people’s health.
At least one restaurant industry spokesman warned that customers will now move on to sidewalks for a puff, exposing passersby to secondhand smoke. Robertson said the current tobacco law prohibits smoking on covered bar and restaurant patios, but the new regulation extends to those that are completely open to the air.
“Evidence shows that nearly 70% of people in Ontario want completely smoke-free patios,” Robertson said. “People can still be exposed to second-hand smoke on patios, even uncovered patios, and this regulation will reduce people’s exposure to second-hand smoke, including children and youth.”
Some of the more controversial measures are still to come. Ontario intends to ban the sale of flavoured tobacco, including the popular menthol brands, within a few years.
One group has warned that adult smokers who like menthol will turn to contraband tobacco suppliers for their fix. NDP MPP France Gelinas, who has pushed hard for a ban on flavoured tobacco, said that these products are developed specifically to create a new generation of young smokers.
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