Gwinnett County

Public smoking will soon be prohibited in parts of Gwinnett County

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga — Tuesday, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners passed a countywide smoke free ordinance.

The ordinance goes into effect on June 23 and will prohibit smoking in enclosed public spaces. Those spaces include restaurants, gaming facilities, convention centers and certain bars.

The ordinance did list some exceptions, including smoking inside private homes and inside hookah bars, cigar bars and lounges.

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“To dictate to a private business what they can and can not allow is an overreach,” said smoker Spencer Duncan.

But at the commissioner’s meeting, one resident voiced her support of the ordinance.

“At a time when my boys are exposed to more and more youth vaping, this policy would ensure a healthier community.”

Commissioners said the ordinance would guarantee the right of nonsmokers to breathe smoke-free air.

Traci Hines is a patron at the Sportsline Bar and Grille in Lawrenceville.

Right now, the bar allows indoor smoking.

Hines, who is a nonsmoker, said the ordinance goes too far.

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“If you know the place has smoking, it’s your choice to go in there. If you don’t like smoking, then just don’t go in there,” Hines said.

According to the ordinance, any person caught smoking in a facility where it is prohibited could be fined up to $50.

Businesses that don’t follow the ordinance could be fined well into the hundreds of dollars, based on the number of violations.

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