ORLANDO, Fla. -- No longer will smoking be allowed in Florida restaurants. Today, the new state law goes into effect banning smoking at restaurants and indoor work places.
 
Restaurants in Central Florida have been warning customers of the new law by placing stickers notifying them that, after Monday, they will no longer be able to light it up inside. Gov. Bush signed the new legislation that voters approved last November.

The law protects people from second-hand smoke by prohibiting smoking at restaurants and indoor workplaces. Smokers will be able to puff-away in so-called stand-alone bars that serve snacks or those that earn less than 10% of their income from food sales.

 
Customers who violate the ban can be fined $100 to $500 and businesses that fail to comply can be fined as much as $2,000 for multiple violations.

However, it'll be up to customers to report violations to the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation or to the state Health Department. Restaurants and bars that don't qualify for the exemption will be responsible for posting no smoking signs for at least the next couple of years.






I think California has this law already in effect.  For those of you who smoke and dine out often did the law affect you any?  I don't smoke so it doesn't bother me, but since I work in a restaurant it sure is funny watching the waitresses have a nicotine fit.

It's in New York, too.  It's the biggest bunch of bullshit ever.

If you own a resturaunt, you should be allowed to determine what kind of behavior is acceptable inside the resturaunt.  Why don't you go ask the people that own bars what they think of it, I'll bet half of them go out of business.

I can understand making a ban on NEW businesses, because then they know what they're getting into.. but what if you just opened a lounge, and now you gotta ban cigarettes?  You're gonna go out of business, smokers will just stay home.

I hate cigarettes, but this law is stupid.  It should be up to the proprietors of the resturaunt to determine whether or not they allow smokers.  I ought to be able to make a restaraunt JUST for smokers if I want to.  If people that don't smoke don't want to come, then that's their choice... nobodys' FORCING them to eat at these resturaunts, so they're not having any of their libertys infringed upon.  Total B.S. law, it's just another way for liberals to attempt and turn america into a socialist state, where the government controls everything.

^
lol@making money off of peoples addictions is very fucked up

Who are you talking about Philip Morris/Marlboro or Anheuser-Busch/Coors.

well, the reason they do it, is because of the passive smoking causing cancer shit.. there was a thing on a newspaper site about a year ago, saying with the potential, if you get cancer caused by passive smoking, you COULD goto ever pub/bar/restraunt you've ever been to, that had smoking allowed, and sue them for all they're worth

pretty fucked up, but aslong as people are money hungry, it's always gonna happen.

it's just another way for liberals to attempt and turn america into a socialist state

Banned by a Republican, not a democrat.