That’s because a circuit judge ruled yesterday that opponents of South Dakota’s smoking ban have gathered enough petition signatures to put the measure to a statewide public vote. After testimony ended in a two-day trial, Circuit Judge Kathleen Trandahl found that opponents of the ban had collected 2,244 more signatures than they needed to force a public vote. [caption id="attachment_6408" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Smoke ... Jump to full article >>

RONAN – Enforcement of Montana’s Clean Air Act appears to be a little hazy on Indian reservations. Tribally owned casinos are exempt from the indoor-smoking ban, while some enrolled tribal members who own reservation bars and casinos aren’t enforcing the ban. In the meantime, Rick and Vicki Wheeler, who are not members of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes, recently received their first letter of complaint from the Lake Cou ... Jump to full article >>

NEW DELHI: The hype surrounding ban on smoking at public places seems to have vanished into thin air. A recent survey shows that the ban has not been effectively implemented since it came into effect in October last year. The nationwide survey conducted by Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) with 11 partner organisations found that over 60% of the bars and restaurants flouted anti-smoking rules. At least 211 public places were surveyed ... Jump to full article >>

After a marathon session of debates and amendments on Friday, city aldermen approved a bill banning smoking in most bars and restaurants. The bill, approved 20-7, would ban indoor smoking — with several key exceptions — contingent on St. Louis County voters approving a similar ban on the Nov. 3 ballot. That vote, in effect, will decide the smoking ban issue for much of the region. The plan passed at City Hall, like the county version, exempt ... Jump to full article >>

Smoking and gambling have gone hand in hand for Deanna Standing Rock for years. But when the statewide smoking ban went into full effect earlier this month, adding bars and casinos to the list of public places where smoking is not allowed, Standing Rock didn’t fear an end to her smoke-and-slots routine. That’s because she plays at a casino located on one of Montana’s seven Indian reservations, where smoking is still allowed in ... Jump to full article >>

Draft regulations show authorities plan to pull health permits of bars that ignore rules The Rum Runner on East Tropicana Avenue has separated its restaurant and bar areas to allow smoking for gamblers. Even with those efforts, gambling revenues are down 35 percent to 40 percent from last year, owner Gino Hill said. The Nevada Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act has the Nevada State Division of Health prepar ... Jump to full article >>

Group will be part of smoking ban court case in November PIERRE – The American Cancer Society won another battle Tuesday in its campaign to reduce the number of places where people can legally smoke tobacco in South Dakota. The cancer society and its South Dakota governmental affairs director, Jennifer Stalley, will get to take part in the court fight over whether there is a statewide vote next year on South Dakota’s new law banning ... Jump to full article >>

Town’s mayor urges all Lexington municipalities to OK bans to avoid confusion Springdale on Tuesday became the second town in Lexington County to snuff out smoking in restaurants, bars, stores and offices, and two neighboring communities may do likewise. The ban in Springdale mirrors limits on lighting up in workplaces in unincorporated parts of the county effective Jan. 1. It’s time for the 11 other county municipalities without ban ... Jump to full article >>

One interesting aspect of the state’s public smoking debate is that it’s a classic example of how things work — or don’t — in the Michigan Legislature. Several years ago, the anti-smoking lobby, a grassroots, but well-organized and effective movement, set its sights on a handful of Midwest states with a goal of stomping out smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, among the last public outposts for ... Jump to full article >>

Now that the smoke has cleared from a state law prohibiting lighting up in public places, Cheryl Singer has discovered a pleasant surprise. Singer, the manager of Grille 31 in Mt. Pleasant, said the smoking ban has not exacted a toll on business there. “We still have smokers who still come in here and we have an outside patio now and they go outside and smoke. Our business hasn’t changed at all. I was shocked,” Singer said. An ... Jump to full article >>