Smoking Ban Begins in New Jersey as new Law

With bar owners fuming, clean air advocates rejoicing and 'No Fumar' signs posted, New Jersey enters the smoke-free era Saturday, snuffing out indoor smoking with a long-awaited ban that excludes Atlantic City's 12 casinos.The New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act was to take effect after midnight Friday, prohibiting cigar, cigarette and pipe smoking in restaurants, bars, private office buildings and other indoor places. The ban, which carries fines of $250 to $1,000 for people who light up and the businesses that let them, makes New Jersey the 11th state in the country to outlaw smoking indoors.

'We're celebrating right now,' said Tom Duffy, executive vice president of the American Cancer Society's New Jersey chapter . 'It really is historic. It's going to save thousands of lives over the years.'The law was passed to cut down on workers' exposure to secondhand smoke, which health officials say claims up to 1,800 lives a year in New Jersey alone. But advocates hope it will clear the air for everyone by pushing puffers outside and making smoking less socially acceptable. 'It probably will cut down on my smoking, which is a good thing,' said Scott Stevens, 50, of Avalon. 'If you're that desperate, you can go outside and have one.'

May 2, 2006
Posted By Bob Hartman
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