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Going Smoke Free

Posted December 30, 2007 10:00 pm

Going Smoke Free

The Smoke Free Illinois Act goes into effect today. It prohibits smoking in public places, places of employment and governmental vehicles. The purpose of the Smoke Free Illinois Act is to protect the health of Illinois residents, workers and visitors from the harmful health effects of secondhand smoke, according to www.smoke-free.illinois.gov.

The basics:

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Smokers can't light up inside or within 15 feet of entrances, exits, windows that open, and ventilation intakes of designated smoke-free buildings.

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Public places where smoking is prohibited include (but are not limited to) hospitals, restaurants, retail stores, offices, elevators, indoor theaters, libraries, museums, concert halls, student dormitories, nursing homes, auditoriums, enclosed or partially enclosed sports arenas, meeting rooms, schools, exhibition halls, convention facilities, polling places, nightclubs, bars, bowling alleys, bingo parlors and casinos.

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No Smoking" signs must be posted in any place where smoking is prohibited, including public places, places of employment and governmental vehicles.

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Ashtrays must be removed from any place where smoking is prohibited.

Exempted places:

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Private residences or dwellings, except when used as a child care, adult day care, health care facility or any other home-based business.

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Private and semi-private rooms in nursing homes in long-term care facilities.

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Hotel and motel sleeping rooms designated as smoking rooms, with no more than 25 percent of rooms designated as smoking rooms.

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Retail tobacco stores that have been in operation before today.

Penalties and fines:

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Any person, business owner, corporation, partnership, association or other entity violating the no smoking provisions of the act may be fined.

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A person who smokes in a prohibited area shall be fined from $100 to $250.

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A person who owns, operates, or otherwise controls a public place or place of employment who violates the act shall be fined not less than $250 for the first violation, not less than $500 for the second violation within one year after the first violation and not less than $2,500 for each additional violation.

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Call (866) 973-4646 or log on to www.smoke-free.illinois.gov to report a violation.

More information:

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For complete text of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, log on to the Illinois General Assembly's Web site, www.ilga.gov, and type "SB0500" in the "By Number" search bar on the left side of the screen. Click "full text" at the top of the page.

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To print "no smoking" signs that meet the requirements of the Smoke Free Illinois Act, log on to the Illinois Department of Public Health's Web site, www.idph.state.il.us/smokefree/, and click "signage" on the left side of the screen.

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