Senate Committee Approves Pa. Smoking Ban

The new state senate bill to ban smoking in bars and restaurants, as well as all public places, has passed in committee. The bill was given the thumbs up by the Appropriations Committee and will now have to make its way on the agenda for the current session.

Senate Bill 246 would make it illegal to smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products in public spaces – punishable with a $100 fine for first offenders with increasing penalties for repeat violators.

State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Montgomery, said in an e-mail to WritePittsburgh that he was pleased to have passed the bill after 10 years of campaigning for healthier workplace environments.

“I have introduced similar legislation for over 10 years and it is important for me to see this bill passed this session, especially since all our surrounding states have smokefree laws,” Greenleaf said.

“The one state that does not have a state law--West Virginia-- has smokefree ordinances in 45 out of its 55 counties. Pennsylvania is standing almost alone in this region in not protecting its workers.”

The bill states that “The use of tobacco products is dangerous not only to the person smoking, but also to nonsmokers who must breathe the contaminated air,” and that “53,000 nonsmokers in the United States die annually from lung and heart disease due to exposure to passive smoke.”

Greenleaf said that the earlier effort to ban smoking in Allegheny County was a noble one, and that for too long it was up to localities to push for smoking bans.

“I was very impressed with the Allegheny County ordinance and wished that it would have been upheld in the courts. I think that local governments in this state are leading the way,” Greenleaf said.

The bill would effectively ban smoking in any public space, including bars and restaurants, theaters, museums, retail stores, commercial establishments and service lines – a line that extends into public areas where people are waiting for products or services.

It will also ban smoking in any “licensed gaming facility,” which would include the new Majestic Star Casino being built on the North Side, as well as the other state-approved slots halls.

The legislation is co-sponsored by seven other lawmakers, a mix of Democrats and Republican lawmakers. If the legislation is passed in both chambers, it would become law 90 days afterward.