Bar exemption sought on Indiana smoking-ban bill

Publication Date: 2012-01-26

• Author:AP
• Publication:Indianapolis Business Journal

Some Indiana legislators are expected to push for exempting bars and certain other locations from a bill calling for a broad statewide smoking ban.

Proposed amendments to the bill could face debate as soon as Thursday afternoon in the Indiana House.

As the bill now stands, it would prohibit smoking in most public places and workplaces, including bars. The proposal would allow smoking only on the gambling floors of casinos, fraternal and veterans clubs, cigar and hookah bars and retail tobacco shops.

Legislators have also filed amendments that would allow more smoking areas at casinos and horse tracks.

The House last year approved a smoking ban bill that included an exemption for bars, but it failed later after health advocates argued it would be one of the nation's weakest bans.