Smoking Banned from Kansas Restaurants, Bars and Workplaces
Last Friday, Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson signed a law forbidding smoking in Kansas restaurants.
According to the Kansas City Star, the state is kicking the habit and has banned smoking in bars, restaurants and workplaces. The statewide smoking ban takes effect on July 1.
As discussed in this blog supporters had pushed for a statewide ban for years. Gov. Parkinson also proposed increasing sales and cigarette taxes to solve a $400 million budget deficit the state faces this spring.
As previously discussed, Michigan recently approved a state smoking ban. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a workplace smoking ban into law. It includes bars, restaurants and private clubs.
Michigan bar and restaurant owners insisted the law would cost thousands of jobs as smokers would choose to frequent their establishments less often.
Still the ban was approved 75-30 by the Democrat-led state House of Representatives and 24-13 by the Republican-led Senate.
In Kansas, day-care centers, taxicabs and limousines are covered under the ban. The only exemptions are for tobacco shops, smoking rooms in hotels, and the gambling floors of state-run casinos.
Kansas now joins more than 30 states that have adopted some type of statewide smoking ban. In addition, 39 Kansas cities and counties have local bans.
Currently, 70 percent of the restaurants in the state are non-smoking, either because of city or county ordinances according to the Kansas Restaurant & Hospitality Association.
Officials said the new law is aimed to ensure more uniformity among existing city and county measures.
- Kansas set to ban smoking in restaurants (Nation's Restaurant News)
- Poll: Time for a smoking ban in Kansas? (The Pitch)
- Smoking in the Workplace (FindLaw)