The New Hanover County Board of Health voted unanimously Wednesday to uphold a fine against the Juggling Gypsy for violations of the state’s indoor smoking ban on bars and restaurants. The two-hour hearing Wednesday morning dealt with the first of three separate administrative penalties imposed on the Castle Street bar since the ban took effect earlier this year. Each fine from the health department is $200. The Juggling Gypsy so far has appea ... Jump to full article >>

That’s the response from some Plymouth bar and restaurant managers to Michigan’s new workplace smoking law, which will ban smoking inside their establishments come next May. The long-debated bill was signed into law Friday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. It prohibits smoking at most indoor workplaces, with exceptions for truck cabs, cigar bars and tobacco shops, as well as the gaming floors of Detroit’s three casinos. “I do not ha ... Jump to full article >>

Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard. The study, thought to be the first to assess levels of a nicotine byproduct known as cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors, found levels up to 162 percen ... Jump to full article >>