One month after it was supposed to begin, a new smoking ban is in effect in Gadsden, Ala today.

The ordinance was passed in June 2014, but with several new council members coming on at the end of the year, they along with the Public Safety Committee requested more time to study and familiarize themselves with the law. An agreement to delay the start was agreed to in late December.

With the ban in place, smoking in all business and other public spaces is now prohibited with a limited number of exceptions. A 20-foot smoke-free buffer zone from the entrances of the affected businesses is also now in place.

Cigar stores and bars are getting an exemption from the ban, provided that 50 percent of a store’s revenue comes from cigar related purchases and they have a walk-in humidor. Tobacco retailers without the walk-in humidor, businesses that were once exempted, are now subject to the ban.

For those who like to light up on outdoor patios of establishments, that is still allowed, though food and beverage service won’t be happening in those areas to reduce the interaction between employees and smokers.

Gadsden is home to approximately 35,000 people and is the county seat of Etowah County. It is located in the northeastern part of the state, roughly 50 miles northeast of Birmingham.

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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.