Virginia - No Smoking in Public Restaurants │ Virginia - New "No Smoking Law" Takes Effect December 1, 2009

Starting next month on December 1, 2009 our once famous - now infamous tobacco state will join the ranks of other states as a new anti-smoking law takes hold in Virginia. The Old Dominion will finally join the growing ranks of states that banned smoking in restaurants. The new ban will allow restaurants in Virginia to have a smoking area only if they separate the smokers into rooms into rooms that have their owned contained ventilation systems separate from those that heat and cool those of non-smoking patrons. Due to the expense of retrofitting a restaurant or eateries in this lackluster economy, it is expected that less than 10% of restaurants will accommodate this segregated smoking arrangement provision. Most restaurants will just comply, and forego the conversion. So for the most part, forget smoking in public eateries starting December 1, 2009. For those of us that do not smoke, this law is long overdue!