Tobacco.org

• Smoking ban in restaurants starts Oct. 1 

When a new state law banning smoking in restaurants goes into effect Wednesday, Kevin Graff believes lives will be saved, and Bob Montanari expects to lose customers.

The smoking ban takes effect in restaurants on Oct. 1 and in bars on April 1, 2004. . . .

Bob Montanari owns The Brewhouse in Norwalk, which includes a smoke-free restaurant and a bar area where about half his customers smoke. He said the new law will affect his bar on Oct. 1, but nearby bars will not be affected until April.

"It could hurt our bar business 50 percent," Montanari said. "The six-month grace period is going to hurt my bar business."

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