A year later, Michigan's smoking ban has mixed impact

**gazhekwe** · May-01-11, 11:55 AM

Michigan is not the only state to have such a ban. Be careful where you flee to maintain the right to smoke wherever you please no matter what the people near you feel about it: You only have 11 states left in your chimney corner.

As of April 2011, 27 states have enacted statewide bans on smoking in all enclosed public places, including bars and restaurants: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

As of April 2011, 7 states ban smoking in most enclosed public places, but permit adult venues such as bars [[and casinos, if applicable) to allow smoking if they choose: Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Nevada, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.

As of April 2011, five states have enacted smoking bans in particular places that do not fit in the other categories:

Georgia bans smoking in restaurants where persons under 18 years of age may enter, but allows most anywhere else either to designate smoking areas indoors or allow smoking freely; local governments in Georgia can and have passed stricter smoking bans than the state.
Idaho bans smoking in restaurants, but exempt both bars [[which can be 100% smoking) and small workplaces [[which can have a designated smoking area); local governments in Idaho can regulate smoking more strictly than the state.
New Hampshire bans smoking in restaurants and bars [[excluding private clubs), schools, and certain common areas open to the public, but not anywhere else, and state law prohibits local governments from enacting local smoking bans.
North Carolina bans smoking in all restaurants and bars [[excluding cigar bars and private clubs), as well as government buildings and vehicles, but does not regulate smoking anywhere else. Local governments may regulate smoking more strictly than the state, except in cigar bars, private clubs, tobacco shops, private residences/vehicles, designated hotel/motel smoking rooms, and theatrical performances involving smoking.
In Virginia, smoking is banned in schools, state offices, and certain healthcare facilities and common areas, but not anywhere else; in restaurants [[including bars), smoking is relegated to separately-ventilated designated smoking rooms. The state law prohibits local governments from regulating smoking more strictly than the state.