Yesterday, the Garden City Council unanimously passed a smoking ban on first reading. As currently written, the new law would ban smoking inside most public places, although exemptions are made to bars that are 21 and over and bingo halls.

In order to become law, the ordinance will have to pass its third reading. Additional amendments could be added and a variety of citizens on both sides are requesting changes to the first reading.

While Garden City is not large—its population is only around 10,000—its completely surrounded by Boise, yet governed independently. Boise passed a smoking in 2011, meaning bars in Garden City have been the last in the area to allow smoking. Previously, some members have supported free-market approaches to resolving the matter, something that once again voice at the Monday meeting.

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Charlie Minato

I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.