Bars in Denton, Texas will have to pick up their ashtrays as the city council passed an anti-smoking ordinance on Tuesday night, just two years after an exemption was carved out for them. The ban will be rolled out in two phases: those establishments with outdoor patios will have 120 days in which to come into compliance with the new law, while those without outdoor patios will be given until Dec. 31, 2017. The compromise was reached in response to the exemption being taken away and to give business owners a chance to rethink their business plans, according to a report in the Denton Record-Chronicle. Regardless of the bar’s setup, smoking will also be banned within 30 feet of the entrance to a bar. Denton has a population of just over 123,000 people and is located 4o miles northwest of Dallas.
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