Smoking...is it still allowed in public in KY? (Lexington: buy, school)

[GypsySoul22]

Okay, I am not trying to take sides but I am interested in how smoke free Louisville and the surrounding areas are. Can you work in a smoke free environment if you work in an office/factory/school?

Where I am from, it's very anti-smoking. I am just looking for info. Thanks.

[desiree253]

While I can't say for the Lousiville area, I can say for the Richmond area they are very smoker friendly. Although Lexington put a ban on smoking in all restaraunts and bars as well about two years ago. Overall, due to the tobacco industry in Kentucky being so huge, the state is much more smoker friendly. I have not heard of any areas you can't smoke in public, just some larger cities don't allow smoking in restaraunts or bars anymore.

I don't know of any offices or businesses that allow smoking inside the buildings. That is illegal for any federal or state buildings in KY*(although I've been to the Frankfort state capitol building where they were smoking like there was no tomorrow while veto-ing or passing state legislature. It was the darndest thing this California native had ever seen!

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

Okay, I am not trying to take sides but I am interested in how smoke free Louisville and the surrounding areas are. Can you work in a smoke free environment if you work in an office/factory/school?

Where I am from, it's very anti-smoking. I am just looking for info. Thanks.

Louisville passed a comprehensive smoking ban to take efffect this July that bars smoking in all public buildings from offices to stores to bars.

Lexington has had a ban for a while now and it is working great for them. the ban in Lexington seems pretty strict but I don't think it is hurting business. The nice thing about Lexington is that it is progressive since its a college town.

That said, Louisville has many suburbs who have yet to pass a ban. These include Oldham and Bullitt counties in KY and Floyd County in IN.

[dumpstermcnuggets]

Though I'm a nonsmoker and a libertarian opposed to smoking bans in private places(and only favor smoking bans in truly public buildings, such as for one government buildings, and particularly oppose smoking bans in adult establishments, such as bars), I won't let my views cloud my suggestions of towns/cities that I do know have bans on smoking in KY. Here are some places that I do know have them(since you are interested in knowing which areas do have bans, not to mention I want this post to be productive, and help you out):

-Frankfort
-Georgetown
-Ashland
-Henderson(bars with ventilation systems can allow smoking, though)
-Paducah

Oldham County(northeast of Louisville), and Madison County(which in fact, covers Richmond and Berea) did actually, in fact, pass bans on smoking, as a matter of fact. All this said, I wouldn't say its impossible to find areas where you can find nonsmoking establishments(the cities I mentioned above have ones already in effect, but these 2 counties don't have their bans in effect yet, and of course, I skipped mentioning Louisville, since I saw another poster already mentioned that city's upcoming ban). My suggestion too, if you're in an area that doesn't have a smoking ban, is to vote with your pocketbook and patronize businesses that've gone smokefree, and to NOT patronize ones that allow smoking, since this has already had a major effect in many areas to encourage businesses to make the switch to going nonsmoking. I'm also saying this, as someone who prefers allowing bars and adult establishments to decide their smoking policies on their own, but strongly prefers nonsmoking dining, and only tolerates ones allowing smoking, IF they have a very good seperation between the smoking and nonsmoking areas(not say, the joke of a seperation that certain places like say, Waffle House, have).

Though our views may vary on this issue by a great margin, I again hope that this post helped you out.

[Coyote_Blond]

They may not be able to smoke inside SOME buildings. But it certainly doesn't stop them from smoking by the entrances to stores, tossing cig butts EVERYWHERE and smoking in the car with their kids. They'll catch up with the rest of the country that knows it's a killer in about 100 years lol.

[Sundance]

We went to flea market in Paducah last weekend, an indoor flea market. People were smoking in there and it reduced my enjoyment of the day, to put it mildly.

I didn't know people were so rude as to smoke in an indoors area, where people are actually trying to shop.

I won't go back.

Why should I have to breathe toxic fumes and then hand you my money?

Go outside to smoke...

[bmacdo]

This smoking thing, in my opinion, is one of the biggest drawbacks to Kentucky. Where else can you not locally buy a bottle of red wine (that has many proven health benefits) yet find deadly cigarettes being celebrated as part of the American way? It makes no sense. When I was a smoker, I generally didn't light up indoors, and especially not in restaurants. I can't imagine trying to shop in a flea market where you're having to hold your breath to keep from taking in all the smoke. Plus the odor and the tar gets into all the merchandise. That's just a really bad business decision not to mention a public health nuisance. Kentucky ranks number one in the nation for smokers per capita so don't expect the problem to go away any time soon. As a lot of the smokers say, if you don't like it, you can move.

[NatashaQuick]

several of my favorite dives, bars and clubs have either closed, sold or are just plain hurting financially since the Lexington smoking ban was put into effect. we did have an actual cigar bar, which closed the day the ban took effect. there were no exceptions. if you only go to crappy chain restaurants, then you may not notice any financial problems related to the smoking ban, but if you support any local businesses then you'd definitely notice. the franchise owner of Applebee's in Kentucky was a large proponent of the smoking ban. I don't see why he couldn't have made his chain smoke-free without paying off the government. of course it's true that it's illegal to smoke in government buildings like the Capitol, but they do it anyway. you can make and enforce laws, but you can't force change in people's opinions.

I'm not a proponent of people smoking everywhere they go (which is a throwback from the days before people realized how harmful it is), but I believe that if you own your own business, especially if it is NOT a family affair, then you have the right to decide what sort of atmosphere you want to have. as for me, I've gone back to my pre-21 days of hanging out in small groups because I was too young to go to the bar. *shrugs* it's cheaper.

as for the above poster, not all of Kentucky is dry, and not every place of business with smoking allowed is cloaked in a veritable blue cloud, either.

[Coyote_Blond]

as for the above poster, not all of Kentucky is dry, and not every place of business with smoking allowed is cloaked in a veritable blue cloud, either.


You'd better brush up on the hazards of being near one person smoking even in a LARGE room. KY is unbelievably backwards when it comes to smoking. The people defending their right to smoke in public places are seen on TV talking in gravelly raspy voices & pinched thin lined lips. Very attractive lol. =3=== puff puff ====3 ==3

[GypsySoul22]

I have to say the 'permissive' smoking attitude really turns me off. But you know, I think it's going to change. Maybe it will take longer than in a big city like NY or L.A. but eventually most people are going to be hit in the pocketbook if they smoke (higher premiums..it's coming folks).

The more outsiders coming in who don't smoke will influence those who do. I look around here and it seems sometimes a lot of people still smoke and we have VERY strict laws in my county.