A First for Tobacco Country: No Smoking
Leaders of Lexington, which is in the heart of the state’s tobacco industry, voted to ban smoking in most public buildings effective Sept. 29.
The ban is the first of its kind in the state, the nation’s second-largest tobacco producer after North Carolina.
The ban is “another sign of the lack of influence of tobacco, even in tobacco country,” said tobacco farmer Scotty Baesler, a former congressman and former Lexington mayor. Exceptions to the ban include retail tobacco stores and warehouses, and indoor smoking areas in government buildings.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
