EL PASO, Texas –– Two Texas cities have approved smoking bans that will prohibit people from lighting up in such places as restaurants, bars and hotels.

The El Paso City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday that will bank smoking in all enclosed public areas. A provision was removed that would have prohibited smoking in outdoor areas next to buildings where people gather, including restaurant and bar patios. Critics say restaurant and bar patrons will go to Ciudad Juarez, on the other side of the Rio Grande in Mexico, where no such restrictions exist. Also on Tuesday, the Lubbock City Council gave final approval to a citywide ban on smoking in public. The ban allows any business to seek a three-year exemption.

<< Prev	CIGoutlet.NET News Home	Next >>