Indiana Bars Likely to Remain Smoke-Friendly

Andrew Nagy
Posted: January 30, 2013

A group of Indiana lawmakers, led by Representative Charlie Brown, D-Gary, recently filed a measure to extend the state’s smoking ban to include bars, but it appears the bill will fall short of its goal.

The anti-smoking legislators filed a new version of the state smoke ban in which the language that exempts bars had been removed. The statewide ban, which went into effect last July after six years of lobbying, prohibits indoor workplace smoking and includes restaurants but exempts bars.

House Public Policy Committee chairman Bill Davis, R-Portland, said, though, that he believes state lawmakers should wait a couple of years to see the effects of the current smoke ban before considering stricter smoking laws.

For now, Indiana remains one of the more smoke-friendly states in America as citizens are allowed to light up in workplaces such as bars, retail tobacco shops and the state’s 13 casinos. However, many municipalities, such as Indianapolis, and counties have passed their own stricter smoking bans to include bars.

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