Smoking ban for bars, restaurants begins Jan 2

As of midnight tonight, most local bars and restaurants will turn smoke-free -- and health department officials say they anticipate full compliance throughout the county.

"Overall, we're not anticipating that there's going to be a big issue," said Judy Melville, environmental health supervisor I for the Iredell County Health Department.

Melville said Wednesday that department staffers have been visiting various restaurants and bars in the area that will be directly affected by the smoking changes.

"The feedback I'm getting is that the management has been very responsive and pleased that this is going forward and they are preparing to have everything ready for compliance," she said.

The new state law – which was passed in May 2009 and goes into effect Jan. 2 – prohibits smoking in the "enclosed areas of almost all restaurants and bars" as well as the "enclosed areas of hotels, motels, and inns, if food and drink are prepared there."

The only exceptions to the law are non-profit, member-operated private clubs, cigar bars that meet certain requirements and establishments that are exempt from state sanitation laws. Also, hotels and other lodging establishments are able to allow smoking in up to 20 percent of guest rooms.

"Indications are everyone is gearing up and ready to go with this," said Melville, noting that Iredell County restaurant owners and managers were seemingly taking the necessary steps toward compliance, such as removing indoor ashtrays and posting state-mandated signs noting the new law.

However, as with any change in regulations, "It's always difficult to know what's going to happen once this is law," she added.

"We don't know for sure how things are going to turn out," Melville said.

Compliance with the new mandate will become the responsibility of establishment owners and managers, according to the smoke-free law.

Businesses caught repeatedly breaking the law can be fined up to $200 a day. Smokers who refuse to step outside or put their cigarettes out can be fined up to $50 by local law enforcement.

"If the owners have a problem with a smoker that won't leave, they can call (law) enforcement themselves," said Melville.

Enforcement is also complaint-driven – which Melville said can be submitted by any member of the public who witnesses an establishment not complying with the law – and those complaints will be investigated by the Iredell County Health Department.

At Sports Page Food and Spirits in Mooresville, manager Chris Teal said he doesn't anticipate any issues at the restaurant once they go smoke-free on Saturday.

"We feel like it'll affect us positively," he said, noting that part of the restaurant's nonsmoking section was negatively impacted by smoke trickling out of the bar area.

"If anything it will help us," he added. "And the people that do smoke can't go anywhere else to smoke."

Teal said Sports Page has put up signs notifying patrons of the law change. They have also established an outside patio – equipped with heaters – for smokers to utilize when the need for a cigarette arises.

In Statesville, Ol' Bob's BBQ and Catering owner Robby Earnhardt expressed his relief about the new smoke-free regulation.

"I'm kind of glad," he said. "I was looking to eliminate smoking anyways."

Earnhardt said he doesn't think the no-smoking law will affect his business as much as it will influence area bars.

Most restaurant managers/owners contacted by the Tribune were unavailable or declined comment.

(Reporter Bethany Fuller contributed to this article.)