No Smoking In Restaurants

Smokers and non-smokers are getting fired up about two city councils approving smoking bans for restaurants. Norfolk City Council approved the measure 7-1 Tuesday night. That puts butts out by March 31st 2008. Virginia Beach City Council approved a similar measure 7-3, but the Beach must get approval from the General Assembly to force smokers outside.

Waffles 'n Things on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach is one of the only 24 hour restaurants this time of year. They still allow people to smoke with their meals. Alan Mitnaul has been working the overnight shift for about 5 years. He says just about everyone who comes in smokes. He'll be happy if the General Assembly approves the smoking ban. "I will be personally. I don't smoke, so i'm catching all the second hand smoke. I'm happy for the ban. I'll breathe a little easier, get some fresh air."

Just about everyone in the restaurant overnight was smoking. And just about everyone in the restaurant overnight supported the smoking ban.

Dorothy Winecoff is visiting from Ohio. She was smoking while we spoke. "The ban is needed. They've had it in Ohio since 2005. No children should be exposed to cigarette smoke, it's a nasty habit."

Bobby Williams was also smoking during our conversation. "I think it's alright they banned smoking in the restaurant because kids and people who don't smoke. I don't think it's comfortable for them to be around smoking."

Carlos Hawkins pulled in to the parking lot to speak his mind. He's a non-smoker. "I do not smoke, but if they want to smoke let them have a cigarette. If they wish not to smoke it's a business owners choice not a city council's choice."

In Norfolk it is a City Council choice and the ban takes effect in March 2008. In Virginia Beach it will be a General Assembly choice. That decision is expected around the same time Norfolk's smoking ban begins.

WTKR: NewsChannel 3 (Norfolk, VA), 2007-10-24