Virginia Department of Health will monitor smoking ban compliance

New details about how the smoking ban will be enforced in our local restaurants after December first.

According to the Virginia Department of Health local inspectors will mainly be checking for three things:

* Make sure ash trays are removed from non-smoking areas
* Check for posted non-smoking signs
* Checking to make sure smoking rooms have separate ventilation systems.

Gary Hagy, Director, Division of Food and Environmental Health Services says, “That we’re going to need the assistance of others possibly local building officials someone who can help us read the plans and the mechanical drawings to make sure that is being complied with.“

Other questions remain over who will be cited if there is a violation.

Hagy says, “Again that is the kind of question… we are not sure what authority we would have.  Normally, we are not a ticketing agency we don’t issue tickets or civil penalties or fines… so this is new to us…  these are some of the things we are going to have to work out with our council and everyone else involved over the next few months.“

Patrons of restaurants will be able to file complaints about restaurants that have customers who are violating the ban.

“The question is going to come up what can we do about it, because you figure we are not going to know about it until the next day.  What authority do we have? Obviously, one of the things we will do is talk to the restaurant owner and advise them they need to police their non-smoking areas and advise them that this is a non smoking restaurant.“

Link to more frequently asked questions from VDH