Houstonians just got healthier (remember Mayor White is looking out for you) as the city’s new restaurant smoking ban is now in effect:
Houston’s smoking ordinance went into effect Monday, requiring restaurants and other eating establishments to ban smoking from indoor dining areas.
“We’re working with the restaurants toward compliance,” says Kathy Barton, spokeswoman for Houston Department of Health and Human Services. “If they refuse, then we will look into some disciplinary action.”
Under the ordinance, restaurants can be fined $2,000 per violation.
A number of restaurants contacted by the Chronicle didn’t realize the ordinance had taken effect.
“Wow, I didn’t know,” said Beso owner-chef Arturo Boada. “Thank God I’m sitting down. I’ll put up a no-smoking sign tomorrow.”
At One’s A Meal and the Greek Village on West Gray, owner Louis Servos wondered whether smoking is still allowed on the patio.
“Do you know? Some people say you got to be 22 feet from the door. Others say 44 feet,” he said. “The problem is, most patios are right there at the front door.”
Passed in March, the ordinance does allow smoking in outdoor seating areas and restaurant bars.
The ordinance has “gray areas,” El Meson owner Peter Garcia said. “For instance, how should the bar be separated from the dining room? It has to have some kind of separation, but it’s unclear as to what kind. It could be a fence. It could be a couple of plants. We’re just going to have to feel this out little by little.”
But then Garcia, a smoker, decided to stop guessing and made the restaurant and bar area smoke-free. “There’s a Spanish saying that goes, ‘You can’t cover the sun with your thumb,’ ” he said.
