news-record.com

RALEIGH — Gov. Bev Perdue signed a law that bans smoking in bars and restaurants at a ceremony this morning in the state Capitol. The measure will go into effect Jan. 2, 2010.

"It's really an historic moment for North Carolina," Perdue said, giving a nod to the state's deep roots in tobacco. The state remains the country's leading tobacco grower.

Also on hand were legislators who backed the bill, including Reps. Hugh Holliman of Lexington, Pat Hurley of Asheboro and Alma Adams of Greensboro.

Off limits

Smoking would be off-limits in all enclosed areas of bars and restaurants, with these exceptions:

•  Cigar bars
   
•  Private clubs, defined as country clubs or other nonprofit groups such as a VFW or an Elks Lodge

What else it would do

• Cities and counties would be able to write their own anti-smoking ordinances with some restrictions.
• Movie sets, private homes and tobacco shops already in business as of July 1 also would be exempt from local smoking regulations.

Winners

• Rep. Hugh Holliman: The Lexington Democrat has been pushing for a ban since 2005. His original bill was a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, but it has taken many forms over the years.
   
• Public health advocates: They hail the ban as a victory that will save lives. They point to studies that show secondhand smoke can trigger acute health problems such as heart attacks and contribute to chronic diseases such as cancer.
   
• Nonsmokers: Will no longer have to worry about smoke drifting over their dinner table.

Losers

• Tobacco companies: Fought the ban as an affront to an industry that helped build the state and as potentially detrimental to their businesses.
• Smokers: Will no longer have North Carolina as a haven relative to other states’ instituting more aggressive bans. Although smoking had been banned in government buildings and schools, this ban is the first on smoking in public places.
• Free-market groups: Had objected to the ban as an infringement on property rights.

Tobacco and N.C.

North Carolina is the nation’s top tobacco-growing state, and major cigarette makers such as Lorillard and R.J. Reynolds call the Triad home.

For much of the 20th century, tobacco interests were the pillar of the state’s economy and few dared challenge those interests in the halls of the legislative building, where smoking was banned only in the past decade.

Long-time Agriculture Commissioner Jim Graham  used to wear a “Thank you for smoking” pin, and current Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler  grew tobacco on his Browns Summit farm.

The state still has one of the lowest tobacco tax rates in the nation, although pressure is increasing to raise the tax on tobacco products.

How they voted

Here’s how local members of the General Assembly voted on the final version of the smoking ban bill:

In the House

For: Alma Adams, D-Greensboro; Pricey Harrison, D-Greensboro; Pat Hurley, R-Asheboro; Maggie Jeffus, D-Greensboro; Hugh Holliman, D-Lexington

Against: John Blust, R-Greensboro; Harold Brubaker, R-Asheboro; Nelson Cole, D-Reidsville; Earl Jones, D-Greensboro; Laura Wiley, R-High Point

In the Senate

For: Stan Bingham, R-Denton; Katie Dorsett, D-Greensboro; Don Vaughan, D-Greensboro

Against: Phil Berger, R-Eden; Jerry Tillman, R-Archdale

Quotable

“It’s just a big disappointment and a big loss for property rights, a right of citizens to determine what legal behavior can take place on their own property.”

—Dallas Woodhouse, N.C. Chapter of Americans for Prosperity