Lincoln restaurant and bar owners will not likely be required to reconfigure their outdoor areas to pass muster under the pending statewide smoking ban.
the Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 7:00 pm
Lincoln restaurant and bar owners will not likely be required to reconfigure their outdoor areas to pass muster under the statewide smoking ban.
The state rules may appear to be different than Lincoln’s guidelines, but they are likely broad enough to encompass the way Lincoln businesses have designed their outdoor areas, according to a state employee involved in the rule making process.
The Nebraska Legislature outlawed smoking in all public buildings and workplaces starting June 1, 2009. State regulators hope to have the rules relating to the law approved several months ahead of time to give businesses a chance to get ready.
Just two people appeared Thursday in person at the public hearing at the State Office Building. Two other groups have sent written comments to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department raised the different design rules for outdoor smoking areas in a written letter.
Lincoln has used a “fair amount of science” in their guidelines for the outdoor areas, said Sue Semerena, an HHS administrator.
A statewide anti-smoking group, GASP, suggested in a letter that the state rules make it clear smoking is not allowed in work areas that are not a building. That would include “airplanes, boats, buses, cars tents, train engines, box cars, dining cars, trucks, semi-truck trailers, vans, taxis, limousines and possibly other places.”