Summer roundup: Smoking ban passed for restaurants and bars

City Council passed this summer a bill that bans smoking in all public places in the city - most notably in restaurants and bars.

Former Councilman Michael Nutter, who resigned his seat to join the 2007 mayoral race, was the main sponsor of the ban, a project he has been pushing for years.

Many bar owners are displeased with the ban and say that the government should not be intruding on their businesses.

Not all establishments will be covered under the ban, however.

In order to get the nine council votes necessary for approval, Councilman Frank DiCicco sponsored a companion bill that allowed bars that earn over 90 percent of their revenue from alcohol sales to apply for permanent exemptions.

Sidewalk cafes will also be exempt from the ban.

Philadelphia will join other northeast cities that have already banned smoking, including New York and Washington, D.C.

The neighboring states of Delaware and New Jersey are among those that have gone a step further and banned smoking statewide.

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