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Feb 1, 2008 8:15 pm US/Eastern
Smoking Ban In Effect Across Maryland
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A statewide smoking ban went into effect Friday across the state of Maryland.
A statewide smoking ban went into effect at 12:01 Friday morning.
Peggy Lee reports the ban prohibits smoking in all state bars and restaurants.
The lunch rush was on Friday afternoon at Towson's Bill Bateman's Bistro.
Hungry customers inhaled tasty foods, but the one thing they didn't inhale was cigarette smoke.
"I would prefer not to have dinner with someone who was smoking a cigarette," said Timothy Brooks, who supports the ban.
"With some folks, it just seemed like it was cigarette after cigarette, and it was bothersome. At this point, I think it's great," said another ban supporter Steve Marshall.
For others, it's an inconvenience.
"I feel like I'm being quarantined almost. We're not inhuman; we just have a bad habit," said David Heitlinger, who opposes the ban.
In Hampden, city leaders celebrated a smoke-free Baltimore joining the statewide ban on smoking in all establishments.
"Lives will be saved because of what Council President and Mayor Sheila Dixon has done with her leadership on this issue," said Robert Curran of the City Council.
"I don't think I have ever met a single smoker who didn't want to quit," said Joan Stine from the Maryland Department of Health.
As of Friday, citizens no longer need to suffer from exposure to secondhand smoke in restaurants, bars and private clubs.
Penalties for breaking the law are as high as $250 for individuals and $500 for businesses.
Businesses can apply for exemptions, but they must be able to prove their drop in sales is directly related to the ban. Businesses must show a 15 percent drop in sales over a consecutive two-month period.
Supporters hope the only decrease the ban will cause is in the number of smokers in Maryland.
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