Feb 1, 2008 6:13 am US/Eastern
Smoking Banned In Md. Bars & Restaurants
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) ―
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It's the last call Thursday night for smoking in bars and restaurants in Maryland.
Smokers lit their last cigars inside a Maryland restaurant just before the new statewide smoking ban took effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
It was a smoky, sad celebration.
Dennis Edwards reports about 100 smokers turned out at Morton's Steakhouse for a four-course premium cigar dinner.
It was a final farewell or puff before a comprehensive smoking ban goes into effect Friday morning.
"It's disappointing. I mean, I think non-smokers should have the right to have a place where they are not inundated with smoke, but I think smokers should have the right to have a separate place to smoke if they choose to," said one attendee.
"The cigars have been a big part of what we've done for many years. A big part of our culture. So for us, it's gonna be sad to see it go," said general manager Ron McNeill.
After years of sometimes heated debate, smoking in restaurants comes to an end through a state law designed to protect restaurant and bar workers from exposure to the potentially deadly effects of second-hand smoke.
"They've told us stories about coming home coughing and taking all their clothes off and airing them out, so it's definitely going to have a health effect," said Michaeline Fedder from the Heart Association of Maryland.
Morton's is among a number of restaurants who chose not to seek an exemption from the new law, but other restaurant chains are closing their smoking bars in hopes of reopening again soon.
Ruth's Cris Havanna House Lounge is seeking an exemption based on projected losses caused by the smoking ban. If approved, customers could light up again soon.
For now, smokers must find another place to puff.
"I smoke in my home which is probably gonna be the last bastion for a lot of people, and I smoke in a cigar shop, so I'll be spending more time in a cigar shop," said Reggie Palmore.
Morton's tells
Eyewitness News cigars were only three to five percent of the restaurant's revenues, perhaps not enough business to make seeking an exemption worth the time.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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