Special thanks to Corona Cigars to making me aware of this alert. Unfortunately, this is not good news.
This is a terrible defeat for not only the Cigar industry, but small business in general.
The El Gaucho restaurant in Tacoma, Washington has signed a permanent court injunction in which they have agreed not to reopen its VIP smoking lounge. The restaurant had attempted to comply with a 2005 law that prohibited smoking in public places and places of employment in Tacoma. They did this by walling off their smoking lounge, putting and adding an air filtration system in the smoking area.
Frank Dibiase from the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department stated: “They went to considerable expense and length to try to circumvent the intent of the law”
To quote a Cigar Dave expression, this is absolute poppycock. Here we have a small business investing money to try to comply with an ordinance. For Dibiase to make the statement he did – this is nothing more than the Pleasure Police trying to flex their muscles.
This is why it is urgent you must know your local politicians stand on tobacco legislation. The fact that the judge in Pierce County ruled against El Gaucho. It makes it even more important to know what judges are being voted into office. It is also important that cigar businesses spending money to comply with legislation be very aware of stuff like this.
Finally, Tacoma is proving to be one of the most unfriendly cities in the United States for Tobacco Enthusiasts. Read about this Yellow Alert involving possible banning of tobacco use in private dwellings in Tacoma.
Click here to read the article.
UPDATE
Looks like the restaurant is taking the battle to the legislature asking for a license to be created to allow people to smoke. Notice the biased reporting when they also say the restaurant “tried to get around the law”.
