Smoking law will impact fair

[Diamanto]

http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100731/NEWS01/707319977

Fair-goers — and food-sellers at the fair, for that matter — are reminded that Michigan’s new smoking law will mean fewer places to puff at the Monroe County Fair.

It means concession stands with seats or picnic tables next to them meant for customer dining will be off-limits for cigarette-smoking.

“Just like outdoor patios, even though it’s outdoor air, if the intent is to consume food at a spot then it would be non-smoking,” said Chris Westover, Monroe County’s environmental health director. “What that means is, if a concession trailer provides picnic tables for their customers and (the intention is) for them to sit down next to it and eat, then that would be non-smoking.

“Patrons just walking the fairgrounds, walking the pathways or waiting in line for rides, as far as the health department is concerned, that would be outdoor air that doesn’t fall under the smoke-free legislation,” he said.

As of May 1, smoking was banned in food-service establishments and most public places in Michigan in an effort to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke.

[dumpstermcnuggets]

Wait a second, I thought the Michigan state smoking ban only banned smoking in outdoor patio areas if servers/bartenders were assigned to work in those areas, and not if patrons bring their own food and/or drink out to those areas. Blah, if that state is dumb enough to also ban smoking in 100% of motel rooms(a la Wisconsin), who cares about traveling to that state anymore?

And just thinking about that is extremely sad, since the Upper Peninsula is a very beautiful part of this country that not many have traveled to. Even if it is super cold as heck in the winter, and of course the time of year I wouldn't try or dream of traveling there.