The Hancock County Health Board is scheduled to revisit a proposed county wide smoking ban at its scheduled meeting tomorrow, resuming the discussion after tabling it in early May.

The health board of the state’s smallest and northernmost county has been considering a smoking ban since mid-March, when the first draft of the 2014 Hancock County Clean Air Regulation of 2014 was submitted at its regular meeting. Since that time, there have been objections raised to banning smoking at several of the areas currently included in the ordinance, including golf courses and casinos. Restaurants, private clubs, places of employment and certain outdoor public spaces would also be subject to the ban, and would be subject to a misdemeanor and monetary fine if found in violation.

The board also wanted to do additional research on the possible economic impact that such a ban could have.

Should the smoking ban proposal move forward today, there would need to be a 30-day public comment period and a public hearing before a vote can occur.

Hancock County is home to just over 30,000 residents.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.