Smoking in public places in NOVA? (Richmond, Arlington: crime, home, allergy)

[imisscarlsbadcalifornia]

My husband was asked whether he wanted to be seated in smoking or non-smoking in a restaurant in Dulles this evening. Coming from SoCal and living in Denver we never have to consider such a question; I suppose it's been so long that we thought it was illegal to smoke in public places (we are non-smokers with allergy issues).

Does anyone know if there is such thing as a non-smoking restaurant in NOVA or if there is any legislation pending regarding the issue of smoking in public places? I can't imagine paying money for a meal while having to inhale second hand smoke. No offense to smokers; I know it's not a crime or anything I just am aghast that the statistical evidence has not supported bans on smoking in restaurants and shopping malls, etc.

[saganista]

Plenty of restaurants (and everything else) are smoke-free. The few that still allow smoking somewhere won't be that much of an imposition on anyone's lifestyle. As for the statistics, given that the number one consumers of second-hand smoke are smokers themselves, those folks should be dying off a lot more quickly than they are if all the numbers were right...

[onevthoki]

Virginia is a tobacco state/commonwealth and home to Philip Morris. The state legislature had tried for the last two years to pass and it has not.

Personally I do not smoke, however I will never argue with the right for PRIVATE businesses, be it large corportations or mom and pop, to be told they must become a smoke-free environment.

[akorosdc]

The issue is usually brought up, either on the local or state level (I know Alexandria had it, but decided to defer to Richmond's decision instead). Honestly, I think Virginia will be one of the last states to ban smoking, if ever. Anytime there's a doubt, take a drive down I-95 and send a wave to Phillip Morris.

That said, most restaurants are pretty good about it. The only time it's a problem is if I want to sit in the bar area.

[stockdale.35]

Welcome to Tabacco Capital, freedoms are still observed in VA.

[SouthernBoi]

Originally Posted by saganista

Plenty of restaurants (and everything else) are smoke-free. The few that still allow smoking somewhere won't be that much of an imposition on anyone's lifestyle. As for the statistics, given that the number one consumers of second-hand smoke are smokers themselves, those folks should be dying off a lot more quickly than they are if all the numbers were right...

Uhh were the hell did you get your info from? Almost ALL restaurants allow smoking, with only a few that are smoke free.

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by stockdale.35

Welcome to Tabacco Capital, freedoms are still observed in VA.

Guns ok, but not liquor

[saganista]

Originally Posted by SouthernBoi

Uhh were the hell did you get your info from? Almost ALL restaurants allow smoking, with only a few that are smoke free.

Here is a list of 396 restaurants that apparently lie outside the bounds of "Almost ALL". Each of them is in Arlington. A similar list for all of NoVa would reach well into the thousands...

[tgbwc]

Not all, but most of the restaurants we go to between Fairfax and PW are smoke free.

[ArizonaBear]

Now for weird:

Arlington passed a law banning smoking in the so-called 'public' areas of retail stores way back in 1978------I would think that the whole state of Virginia would have followed California's and Arizona's protocol in banning smoking indoors statewide (with the exception of Indian reservations).