After passing its first reading just over a month ago, a smoking ban in Duncan, S.C. appeared to be a foregone conclusion, with Mayor Lisa Scott saying she expected it to pass its second reading on Tuesday night. Yet when Councilman Keith Vaughn brought the motion up, it didn’t receive a second, resulting in its demise. Had the bill passed, it would have implemented a ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces and created a 20-foot smoke-free zone around those areas. While the ordinance didn’t fail, it could still be revisited, revised and reintroduced in the future. GoUpstate.com, who was the first to report the council’s vote, said that most of the objection from the council stemmed from placing undue burdens and restrictions on private businesses. Duncan is located in the northwest corner of the state with a population of around 3,300 people.
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