The town of Breckenridge, Colo. has a new smoking ban, but cigar smokers got a bit of a reprieve as the town council decided to allow smoking on and near restaurant and bar patios. After debating and reworking the proposal for several months, an ordinance that would ban smoking in front of entryways to buildings, at public transit centers and on or near patios at restaurants and bars passed without objection. A ban on the use of electronic smoking devices at indoor establishments was also part of the ordinance. Yet when it came time for a second reading on Jan. 27, the owner of a local cigar and martini bar came forward to voice his opposition to the patio portion, since the configuration of his establishment would make it subject to the new ban. Rather than carve out an exemption for a single business or try and craft hours that the ban would and wouldn’t apply, the council decided to simply drop it and pass the rest of the ordinance at its Feb. 10 meeting, with the suggestion that it be revisited in the coming months, according to a report from SummitDaily.com. Breckenridge is home to just over 4,500 residents ...
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