Collegiate Times

Businesses must now begin to gauge the effects of a new statewide ban on smoking in restaurants.

The ban, which went into effect Tuesday, ends smoking in “any place or operation that prepares or stores food for distribution to persons,” according to the bill.

Restaurants may still permit smoking, but only in separately ventilated areas. Compliance with the ban will be assessed during regularly scheduled health inspections.

Hookah bars, such as Blacksburg’s She-Sha Cafe and Hookah Lounge, are not exempt from Virginia’s ban. Washington D.C. already has a smoking ban in place, but that ban has an exemption for hookah bars.

According to a Virginia Department of Health Web site, hookah bars will be required to “cease preparation and service of food and serve only pre-packaged foods and bottled or canned drinks.” However, as of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday food was still being served and prepared in the same area people were smoking hookah.

She-Sha declined to comment Tuesday, and also denied the Collegiate Times’ requests to take photographs.

In April, after the smoking ban passed the state legislature, She-Sha owner Paul Santos said he needed more exact enforcement specifications from the Virginia Department of Health before deciding on a course of action.

Bobby Smell, a manager at Boudreaux’s on North Main Street, said that he doesn’t mind the new ban. Smell noted that before the only place the restaurant would allow smoking indoors was at the bar, where he worked.

“It would bother me a bit,” Smell said. “I guess it comes with the territory.”

The outside of The Cellar displayed a small “No Smoking” sticker on its door.  Kevin Long, the restaurant’s owner, said he was happy with the new ban.

“My thought is it’s time that we do this,” Long said. He said that the ban allowed the restaurant to move some patrons downstairs, an area that previously had too much smoke.

“I’d say the feedback has been 80 percent positive, and 20 percent negative,” Long said.

However, enforcement of the ban could quickly become an issue, said Mark Allen, a bartender at Sharkey’s Wing & Rib Joint.

“We might have to tell people a couple times,” Allen said. “This could be a thing people need to get used to.”

Nina Terry, a bartender at Top of The Stairs, agrees.

 “Some gentle reminders might be necessary,” she said.

Dave Campbell, assistant manager at Macado’s Bar and Grill, said it might take a few weeks to gauge public response to the ban.

“I haven’t heard any of our customers say they won’t come in because of the ban,” Campbell said.

He added he was personally undecided about his feelings about the ban.

“I feel for the people who want to smoke, and I feel for the people who want to be seated as far away as possible,” Campbell said.

Other questions remain over potential citations from violating the ban.

“We are not sure what authority we would have,” said Gary Hagy, director of the Division of Food and Environmental Health Services, to WSLS 10.

“This is new to us,” he said. “These are some of the things are going to have to work out with our council and everyone else involved over the next few months.”