Tobacco.org

Smoking law good for some, bad for others 

It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon at Ioanni's Grill in the Pelletier Harbor Shopping Plaza, and only two people are smoking. Three men are seated around the bar drinking frosty, cold beer and there's one couple at a table by the door enjoying some cold beverages, as well as a couple of cigarettes.

This is a very different scene compared to Ioanni's at 11 o'clock at night, when the small establishment is typically packed with people having drinks, watching sports or waiting for their turn at karaoke and smoking - lots of cigarettes.

But as of midnight Saturday, smoking in Ioanni's, and just about any other bar or restaurant in the state, will be a thing of the past. The state General Assembly approved the smoking ban in the spring.

"I can't wait," said Jeff Turnage, owner and operator of Ioanni's. "I quit smoking a year ago, and I hate the smell of it now."

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