ILCC News Release

Questions or Comments: e-mail: ilcc_info@mail.state.il.us

NEWS RELEASE

Learn more about the new smoking ban

View FREE videos on how the smoking ban will affect your business

DATE: November 5, 2007
CONTACT: Ted Penesis (ted.penesis@illinois.gov)

CHICAGO—On January 1, 2008, the “Smoke Free Illinois” law will go into effect throughout the state of Illinois. All liquor-licensed establishments in Illinois will be required to follow this law. Please check the "Latest News" section on our home page www.state.il.us/LCC frequently over the next few months for updated information on this ban.

In the meantime, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC) is providing the following FREE videos for your review on why the smoking ban was enacted and its affect on your business. These videos were created by Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke (KIISS) and produced with assistance from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK).

- Smoke-free Restaurant Video
- Smoke-free Bar Video
- Smoke-free Hotel Video

You can order hard copies of the above videos in DVD format—and read more about the effects of secondhand smoke—by visiting the www.kiiss.org website.

Since the signing of this law, ILCC staff have received many questions from liquor licensees and municipal officials regarding the new State of Illinois smoking ban. Below are answers to some of the more frequently asked questions:

Q: Is a “No Smoking” sign required in my state-licensed establishment?
A: YES. A “No Smoking” sign or the international “No Smoking” symbol, consisting of a pictorial representation of a burning cigarette enclosed in a red circle with a red bar across it, shall be clearly and conspicuously posted by the owner, operator, manager, or other person in control of the place where smoking is prohibited.

Q: How do I order the required “No Smoking” signs?
A: Please visit the “Latest News” section on our home page www.state.il.us/LCC over the next few weeks for a link to the sign ordering form.

Q: Where should I post this sign?
A: Each public place and place of employment where smoking is prohibited by this Act shall have posted at every entrance a conspicuous sign clearly stating that smoking is prohibited.

Q: What else am I required to do to be in compliance with the “No Smoking” law?
A: All ashtrays shall be removed from any area where smoking is prohibited.

Q: Can I create a designated smoking area INSIDE my state-licensed establishment?
A: NO. Current and future designated smoking areas are no longer allowed.

Q: Can I create smoking areas in an outdoor patio?
A: YES, as long as the designated smoking area is part of your licensed premises and is at least 15 feet away from ANY door and/or window that opens and/or ventilation intake.

Q: Can a separate room with its own entrance/exit be designated a smoke shop where smoking is allowed?
A: NO. Smoking is allowed only in establishments registered as a retail tobacco store. Smoking is NOT permitted in a tobacco department, section of a larger commercial establishment, or any establishment with any type of liquor, food, or restaurant license.

Q: Do I still have to enforce the smoking ban if my licensed establishment is a private club?
A: YES. All state-licensed facilities are required to ban smoking inside their establishment and outside their facility at a minimum distance of 15 feet from ANY door and/or window that opens and/or ventilation intake.

Q: Who is in charge of enforcing the smoking ban?
A: The Illinois Department of Public Health, state-certified local public health departments, and local law enforcement agencies shall enforce the provisions of this Act and may assess fines. Any person may register a complaint with the above agencies by calling a hotline number that will be in place prior to January 1, 2008.

The Illinois Department of Public Health is currently developing the “Smoke Free Illinois” website where final rules, a “No Smoking” sign ordering form, and further smoking ban information will be posted. Once this website goes online, a link to the new site will be provided under the “Latest News” section of our home page www.state.il.us/LCC, so please check the ILCC website periodically over the next few weeks.