Smokers beware....Hawaii just became the 14th state to become a smoke free state on November 16th at virtually all public places and workplaces.
Smoking now will be prohibited anywhere they serve food and drinks including restaurants, bars, lu'au parties and hotel lobbies. Smoking is banned from anywhere there are two walls and a roof including bus stops and semi-enclosed places. Other public places involve outdoor stadiums and amphitheaters. Smoking is allowed 20 feet away from entrances and windows to enclosed areas and public places. Not even next to the lifeguard stand on the beach unless you are 20 feet away because that is considered a workplace and there is still further talk about a total ban from all public beaches and parks in the near future. Most prohibited areas shall have prominently posted no-smoking signs.
Businesses in violation will be fined:
- $100 for the first offense
- $200 for the second offense
- $500 for every offense after
Individuals will be fined $50.
The state has set up a hotline for complaints and feedback. They don't want smokers to feel discriminated against and say that they want to educate smokers more on the negative effects that smoking has. They hope that this will set a course for more smokers to become aware and hope that more smokers will want to quit on their own. This is for an even healthier Hawaii. Is your state smoke free?
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Kengo, I am not positive that Connecticut is completely smoke free, but many of what you state in your blog, does also apply here. So my assumption is that we are, and have been so for a few years now. Initially when these rules went into effect here, I was waiting for a big outcry from the smokers, but strangely enough it didn't happen. It will be interesting to see if Hawaii has the same reaction.