Effective April 15th, 2006, indoor public places and workplaces across the State will be smoke free. The Act ensures that workers have a safe work place and that all nonsmokers, including children and senior citizens, can breathe smoke-free air in the public places they visit.
…………………………….Prohibited Places……………………………..
- Any enclosed location at which a person performs any service or labor
- Bars
- Restaurants areas; trains, buses, vans, taxicabs and limousines
- Child care centers
- Health care facilities, patient waiting rooms and nursing homes
- Sports facilities, including race tracks and bowling alleys
- Theaters, clubs, concert halls, public libraries, museums and art galleries
- Shopping malls and retail stores;
- Parking facilities, lobbies, elevators, and lodging establishments including hotels and motels
- Bingo facilities
- Schools, and on the grounds of any public or nonpublic elementary or secondary school regardless of whether the area is an indoor public place or is outdoors
…………………………….Permissible Places……………………………..
- Private homes, private residences and private automobiles
- Hotels, motels or other lodging establishments may permit smoking in up to 20% of guest rooms
- Within the perimeters of casino gaming areas, and casino simulcasting facilities
- Cigar bars or lounges that in calendar year ending December 31, 2004, generated 15% or more of total annual gross income from the sale of tobacco products
- Tobacco retail establishments whose primary activity (51%) is the retail sale of tobacco products and accessories and the sale of other products is incidental
…………………………….Enforcement…………………….……………
Compliance is the responsibility of the person having control of an indoor public place or place of employment under this Act. Signs must be posted in a clearly visible location stating smoking is prohibited. These signs must state that violators may be fined.
Signs must also be posted in areas where smoking is permitted.
Enforcement of the Act also will be achieved by a complaint system. Employees and the public may report violations of the Act to their local health departments.
…………………………….Penalties………………………………………...
A person who smokes in violation of the Act is subject to a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
A person in charge of an indoor public place or workplace who refuses or fails to comply with the Act is subject to a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
For more information about the Smoke-Free Air Act visit www.smokefree.nj.gov
