As of Jan. 1, all public places in Illinois will be smoke-free
/ Courtesy of AP GraphicsBank
CHICAGO (AP) -- Public places in Illinois will soon be forced to go smoke-free.
Governor Rod Blagojevich today signed the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, which will ban smoking statewide in all public places, including bars, restaurants and work places.
The ban goes into effect Jan. 1 and trumps most local ordinances, including those that allowed smoking bans to be phased in or exempted businesses with air filtration systems.
Under the law, people will still be allowed to smoke in their homes, cars, outdoors, at retail tobacco shops and in certain hotel or motel rooms.
Smokers who violate the law could be fined between $100 and $250. And businesses who repeatedly violate the law could be fined at least $2,500.
(Copyright ©2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKHQA