New Hampshire Legislators Seek Exemptions to Places Where Smoking Is Banned

As state legislatures reconvene, it’s fairly common to see a number of tobacco and smoking related bills introduced. But a bill in New Hampshire has an interesting aspect in regards to where it seeks to allow smoking: grocery stores.

Earlier this week, State Representatives Robert Hull, R-Grafton, and Lino Avellani, R-Carroll, introduced HB 279, which seeks to repeal the state’s smoking ban in three places: restaurants, cocktail lounges and grocery stores. Additionally, the bill would eliminate a phrase that prohibits smoking in private vehicles “when used for private purposes” as it pertains to being a vehicle for public conveyance.

The bill isn’t all about repealing smoking bans, however, as it adds a sentence to say that the state’s indoor smoking act could be applied to privately owned premises where the owner or person in charge has declared smoking to be prohibited.

According to a report by WMUR-TV, Hull said he drafted the bill at the request of a citizen, calling it a “property rights issue.”

The bill has been referred to the state house’s committee on commerce and consumer affairs. If enacted, the changes would go into effect on January 1, 2018.

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 Major League Baseball, 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.