Maine new law that prohibits smoking in outdoor areas

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"Please no smoking on the patio."

At the Midnight Blues Club in downtown Waterville, that sign went up near the club's entrance, appropriately enough, at the stroke of midnight on Sept. 12.

Since posting the sign, club employees have needed to tell only one person to stop smoking on the outdoor patio area and instead move to the nearby sidewalk, club manager Mary Gagne said last week.

That's required under a new state law -- in effect since Sept. 12 -- that prohibits smoking in outdoor areas owned by eating establishments where food and drink are served.

The law is intended to curb peoples' exposure to secondhand smoke further. Gov. John Baldacci is supporting the law as part of his efforts to make Maine a healthier state and reduce tobacco use. Maine is now the third state in the country to ban smoking in outdoor dining areas, according to the American Lung Association of Maine.

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Reaction to smoking laws mixed