Virginia banned smoking in most restaurants a month ago — and not all of them mind. North Carolina follows suit. The changing face of the Old Dominion can be seen in the stuff Jimmy Cirrito sweeps up off the floor of his bar every night. It used to be cigarette butts — now it’s gum. “I got Nicorette and Bubblicious and green and yellow and purple. It looks like a circus down there,” said Cirrito, owner of Jimmy̵ ... Jump to full article >>

The District was first to clear the ashtrays from its taverns in 2007. Maryland pushed its smokers outside not long after, in 2008. And on Tuesday, so goes Virginia. The march of smoking bans in bars and restaurants across the region has made lighting up while dining out a practical impossibility for many people. And Virginia’s ban — which kicks in Tuesday — leaves the Washington area with a only a handful of venues where a cu ... Jump to full article >>

The sheep, the lemmings and the appeasers within the Trade said it could never happen. The government itself along with it’s minions and the entire puritan health industry insisted it was not possible. But it’s true. It seems that at last the UK smoking ban has been amended to legally allow indoor smoking rooms and lounges, possibly with bar serveries in the same room. Before you rush off to chuck ashtrays back on the tables there is ... Jump to full article >>

KIRKWOOD Promoters of a ban on smoking in indoor public places have enough signatures on petitions to start the initiative process that could lead to a vote on the proposal. The St. Louis County Election Board announced this morning that the petitions had 1,089 valid signatures, 54 more than the number the city charter requires to start the process. The supporters had submitted 1,357 signatures, Melanie Stilson, the board official who oversaw th ... Jump to full article >>