Local News in Brief : Smoking Rules Eased
Beverly Hills drew national attention last year for banning smoking in most restaurants, but since then its City Council has been backing off.
First, the council decided that restaurants may allow patrons to smoke in special areas. And now the council has said that existing restaurants do not have to separate the smoking and non-smoking sections with walls and install sophisticated ventilation systems, as originally envisioned.
Council members said they will amend the smoking ordinance so that most restaurants may have smoking sections simply by upgrading ventilation systems.
But new restaurants or those extensively remodeled would be required to install walls between smoking and non-smoking areas.
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