WASHINGTON – Beginning December 1, smoking will be banned in most restaurants and bars in Virginia, NBC Washington reports.
The state now joins the ranks of Maryland and D.C. with restaurant smoking bans. The ban excludes private clubs and restaurants with separate rooms with independent ventilation systems, as well as open-air outside areas.
The law cleared significant hurdles for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, who had tried for over a year to prohibit smoking in Virginia restaurants. A bipartisan compromise was eventually reached between the Democratic governor and the state’s Republican House Speaker, William Stafford.