Smoking ban in effect; enforcement is delayed

I hope that means there will be no smoking in open air places like Eat ot Cane Bay and Off the Wall.

I hope that means there will be no smoking in open air places like Eat ot Cane Bay and Off the Wall.

I second that. I had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting next to a table of four smokers at Brew Pub today. They came in after me and sat upwind. How disgusting!

Uggh, I have been waiting for this law for a long time now. I was hoping to go to some of my old favorite places: Bombay, Case Place, any place that's inside. Haven't been to any in a long time. I walk into those places and have to walk out because of smoke.

Bombay has been smoke free for quite some time! It's great!

Okay, I am a former smoker (the worst kind, right??) and I don't like being around smoke, but this is the most stupid law ever. Every business person is going to have to post "no smoking" signs. There can be no smoking on Main Street because you can't get 20 feet away from a door. An open air bar with a roof constitutes a building. Silly, silly, silly. And the enforcement will be like that for all other laws: inconsistent and discriminatory. :X

And while I'm at it...isn't there a law against dogs being in places where food is served? What is up with everyone suddenly taking their dogs out for dinner?

EE - Don't sugar-coat it, tell us what you really think.

Discriminatory? Why not throw in racist? The law falls far short of what I would have liked. Smokers should be deported. And their little dogs.

More rights taken from people to conduct business at their own private establishments as they see fit. But we've been there done that on this topic, a search of the forum will show how most of us feel on this one.

Sean

"most of us?"

On the beach at Club St. Croix yesterday enjoying the fresh air. Woman moves in a few chairs away, smoking. Goodbye fresh air. :X

I am a smoker. i do not like going into the case place because of the smell. i do not smoke inside our house or car. that being said i am a bit surprised of the open air eateries that you can not smoke at. Oh well.
I would like to see them enforce this law at jump ups and any other downtown events. should be interesting.

I too am a smoker and i agree with ageee1dy! Would like them to enact an open container law.

Would like them to enact an open container law.

That would be like having a open container law on the strip in Vegas, or on Beale Street in Memphis. You really want the free rum at the airport for the tourists to go away? The guys on the street selling beverages to go away. This will never happen, the entire economy is based upon cruise ships coming in, and tourists being able to walk around the streets with a beverage, or sit on the beach with a beverage. I don't want to live in "Florida", I want to live in the Virgin Islands.

As for the smoking law, I am a reformed smoker (the worst kind, right?) that occasionally enjoys a nice cigar, but I am for smoking bands on inside establishments. (Caribbean Saloon for example) However, it is tough to define what is inside and outside here at some establishments. Puerto Rico did this right, you are prohibited from smoking if there is a roof over your head, if there is no roof over your head, then you can smoke all you want. For example, a cabana bar, you can not smoke at the bar because there is a little overhang over your head, step back 5 feet from under the roof and your good to smoke. If you think air that is that diluted will give you cancer, then you probably shouldn't be out in the sun either, because that can give you cancer too, and don't even get me started on cell phones and cancer. I do think smokers have a responsibility to smoke far enough away as to not be detrimental to my health. For me, outside, 5 feet from me is safe enough for me.

My bottom line is that you should quit making laws until you can enforce the ones you have on the books.

Keep in mind though, this is my opinion, and yours and others are likely to differ greatly from mine. You know what they say about opinions right? They are like arm pits, we all have them, and they all stink. 😀

Most of the people out supporting the bars and restaurants are transplants and tourists. Most of the people that smoke are transplants and tourists. While I strongly agree smoking should be banned in closed in places like bombay or case place (like Paradise Cafe did), in fact I think the owners should have decided to do it long ago, I don't see the point in doing it in open air restaurants.

I'd much much rather them be out focus on stopping crime then having another silly thing like seat belt laws and cell phone tickets to hand out. This will just be another easy money maker. Its just another silly law on the books like not being able to wear your suit downtown.

Smoke and Fries equals ' Nanny State'.
Happy Meals will soon be forbidden in San Francisco! BIG BROTHER THE NEW AMERICA!

I heard about the happy meals. Its so silly. We'd all be much better off if we didn't let the govt make such silly rules. Because the silly rules have a way of taking away our real freedoms.

Sorry, I would like to see the ban enforced anywere there is a roof. Without fail, I sit down at the bar at Off the Wall and someone sits down beside me and lights up. Why would anyone do that???

I'm with you , Linda. Smokers are their own worst enemy. And ours.

In my tort law classes, I taught the old maxim, "My freedom to swing my fist stops at the tip of your nose." Good principle.

Smoking is not a swinging fist and a Happy Meal? Give it a break!:S

It's not hard to pay attention to where your smoke blows. I smoked for 9 years and when I was at a bar/restaurant I'd always blow my smoke up in the air rather than straight out or down. If somebody was eating next to me, I'd either move to smoke or just wait 10 minutes. Maybe I was over the top courteous, but it didn't take too much effort to NOT ruin somebody's meal.

They aren't banning Happy Meals, they're only offering a free toy if you purchase a healthy version of the happy meal. If you get it with McNuggets and fries, you pay extra for the toy separately. Maybe the parents will stop planting the diabetes and obesity seed and cook for their damn kids instead. Probably not.

I don't think my students missed the point.

Americans love freedom. I have the freedom to smoke. I do not have the right to deprive you of your right to breathe safe air.

Of course, US tort law may have been wrong for 200 years. Maybe I do have the right to blow my smoke in your face.

But please don't smoke where your smoke must be inhaled by innocent bystanders.

In it's current form, the City Commissioners have voted to prohibit restaurants from offering a free toy alongside any meal that exceeds set levels of calories and fat. Meals that come with a toy must include fruit and vegetables and may not exceed 600 calories. If that's not a ban on a Happy Meal or meals in kind I don't know what else to call it.:S

Edward,
Like I said give it a break or a rest, Have you let somebody blow smoke in your face?:-o

Not only me, but a lot of new consumer and licensing affairs officers waiting for this one to come about!!

the VI has had a new cadre of consumer and licensing affairs officers recently hired. I am sure that they have been itching for this law.