Tobacco State N.C. Bans Smoking In Bars

(AP)  North Carolina legislators have approved a ban on smoking in restaurants and bars in the country's top tobacco-growing state by sales.

Gov. Beverly Perdue has said she would sign it into law.

The state House voted 62-56 on Wednesday to approve changes adopted in the Senate.

North Carolina has come late to the national movement to limit places where smoking is allowed.

By the end of this year, 31 other states and the District of Columbia will have laws banning smoke from workplaces, restaurants, bars, or some combination.

The law would allow fines up to $50 for smokers who keep puffing after being asked to stop.

Last year, North Carolina farmers produced $686 million worth of tobacco, nearly half the value of the U.S. output.

[GAR32788]

I SAY **** THE ***** THAT DID THIS AND ALL THE VOTERS. PEOPLE THAT OWN BARS AND RESTRAUNTS OWN THEIR BUSINESS JUST LIKE PEOPLE OWN THERE HOMES THATS LIKE TELLING SOMBODY (HEY YOU CANT SMOKE IN YOUR OWN HOME) THATS ****** UP IF THE PEOPLE THAT COMPLAIN ABOUT THEY JUST NEED TO TAKE THERE HAPPY ASS RIGHT BACK HOME OR FIND A DIFFERENT BAR THAT DOSENT ALLOW SMOKING I SMOKE WHEN I DRINK IM A BIG FAN OF IT AND I COULD GET OVER 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE TO SIGN AND SAY THEY TOTTALY DISAGREE IM HIGHLY PISSED YOUR GOING TO HURT ALOT OF PLACES THATS ****** UP I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN HOW MAD IAM ABOUT THIS IM 21 I DONT EVEN HARDLEY LISTEN TO THE NEWS OR ANYTHING BUT WHEN I HERD WHAT HAPPEND ABOUT THE NOT SMOKING IN BARS I THOUGHT ID TAKE 10 MINS OUT MY TIME TO WRITE A PIECE OF HATE MAIL TOWARDS THE YES VOTERS AND THE PRICK THAT SIGNED OFF ON IT SCREW ALL OF YALL AND KISS MY ASS U DUBM ***** THAT WHAT A BAR IS ABOUT DRINKING PARTYING DANCING (((((((((((((((((SMOKING))))))))))))))))))!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT HOW EVER I FELT LIKE I HAVE SPOKEN MY MIND I REALLY HATE THAT THEY DID THIS AND SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYBODY THATS JUST MY PROSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUE OK NOW BACK TO YOU *******

[endrepubs]

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! Most native Tar Heels owe some of their prosperity to Tobacco! The great Duke University and Medical Center were totally built by tobacco money from the tobacco magnate Duke family. Another thing most folks don't realize is that if tobacco were banned altogether, our income and sales taxes would skyrocket to make up for the loss of revenue. Tobacco is a major cash cow for the US government as well as state governments. It is a sad fact that the US Government makes far more off a pack of cigarettes than the tobacco companies do. Tobacco is the easy whipping boy for Congress whenever they need extra funds. Go after fast food. Why not ban eating fast food and drinking sugary sodas and drinks in public places and restaurants.

[jon2012-2009]

Banning smoking in workplaces, bars and restaurants just makes good sense. So I say good for the people of North Carolina. The air we breathe is in the common domain so there is no inherent right for anyone to pollute it and impair the health of others. And let's face it: smoking is an addiction, no different from alcoholism. Smokers shouldn't have started in the first place.

[luke_4u]

Face it, the witch hunt on smoking will be in every state before it's all done. When I was just a young guy back in the 50's, you could smoke just about anywhere except Church, school, the supermarket, the courtroom and maybe a couple of other places. You didn't have to wear seatbelts or motorcycle helmets, and you could've talked on your cellphone while driving, if we had cellphones. We have given up many rights over the years, and we'll never get them back.

[luke_4u]

Yo ,Dgunner. Don't type your letters in all caps, makes you look stupid.

[ToolMangler1]

now if we can put every farmer in N.C. out of business we as the people of N.C. have done our job.
Posted by at 8:20 AM : May 14, 2009



Why not, 95% of the Textile business (Use to be bigger than tobacco) has already left NC for china, now I guess whats left of tobacco will go to the mideast, (they already have most of the heroin trade). If you have no money, you can't buy food so send the farmers on overseas also.

[ray999999]

now if we can put every farmer in N.C. out of business we as the people of N.C. have done our job.

[budmag06]

CBS, once again, you forgot to put a "D" after the name of "Gov. Beverly Perdue". Please do not be ashamed of her party or her actions. Remember, the good people of NC want to lose their rights and force small businesses out of the state after all, they voted for her, a "D". I remember when the good folks of NC used to have rights.
Posted by budmag06 at 9:46 PM : May 13, 2009

Once again you idiots conveniently neglect to mention the N.C. legislature which is mostly "R" and which are the ones to make the law.


"Gov. Beverly Perdue has said she would sign it into law."
Get my point now??? Any who votes for a ban on individual rights whether "D" or "R" should be quickly voted out of office.

[bigmo47]

Damn, now when I drive down to N.C. to buy cases of smokes I cannot stop off for a beer and smoke. You see I live in PA where our Gov. is trying to make me pay for poor kid's health insurance through taxes on cigarettes. what i do is drive down to N.C. once a month and buy them in bulk. Then I bring them back and distribute them to all of the smokers so they don't have to pay the PA tax. When I buy by the case a carton is only $22.00. I then charge enough to pay for my gas and time but for the most part I just like to undermind the unfiar plan of making people who chose to smoke pay for someone elses healthcare.

----------------------------------------------------

Good idea!!! I'm no scholar, but I'm pretty sure that's illegal.

[Dgunner]

THIS NO DOUBT IS A BIG SHOT IN THE ARM FOR TOURISM FOR A STATE THAT HAS THE DIRTIEST BEACHES AND HIWAYS IN THE NATION.i WILL SCRATCH THEM FROM MY LIST OF STATES TO VISIT . iM SURE MY LITTLE INPUT WON'T HURT THEM . HOW EVER WHAT ARE ALL THE COUCH COWS GOING TO DO WITH THIER 9 TO5 HUSBANDS DURING THE ADOLESCENT TV SHOWS THEY ARE WATCHING WHILE THE SECOND ROUND OF BROWNIES ARE BAKING IN THE OVEN? pERHAPS COUNT THIER FOOD STAMPS AND PLAY BOO-RAY.