How would you enforce the law?

That's just not healthy. I would have also got up and left but I would let the wait staff with a message for the owner/manager that I would be reporting them to the health department. There are big penalties for that sort of thing here.

Well I'd not be eating there again, and I suppose withdrawing our custom is the best way to tell business owners that we're not happy with the ways they do things. As for that specific situation, I suppose what the restaurant owner should have done is ask the offending smokers to leave. What is the legal situation with smoking in restaurants there?

I would have left. If I were the restaurant owner, I would have taken the ash trays and hidden them. By having them, he was trllingthe patrons that itis okaytosmoke.

I would have done the same - got up and leave. How can establishments expect people to follow the 'law' when they themselves provide the ashtrays that give people the reasons to break it? Yes, there might be reason for them to do that so as to attract a certain segment of the market. But I think it would also be a good idea to let them know that by doing so, they also loose another segment of customers.

As a non-smoker as I am, I would have left too because I just don't like the smoke. In my opinion, smoking has no sense. Instead of enforcing the law maybe the society should get more sensibilised. As non-smokers respect those who smoke, the smokers also should respect those who don't smoke, starting with not smoking in closed areas like a restaurant. I think it's not so difficult, otherwise the restaurant owner (I understand that he/she doesn't want to loose the clients) could prepare a special area with aircleaners, openair, and so on to maintain them separate from those who don't like the smoke. The owner has to look after all clients and should not forget that inbetween the clients might be on with breathing problems (asma, bronquitis or whatever) and once this client gets in touch with smoke being short of defense at that moment, the result can be very bad. In result, "smoking" is a social problem and the whole society is involved, but I hope that we'll find once a solution for all.

You have done right thing by leaving because passive smoking is much dangerous for the health. I wonder how they can put ashtrays on every table so in a way they are inviting people to come and smoke there. Smoking in a restaurant is never a acceptable thing because people simply can't eat in that environment. I am sure they must be running short of customers as why would people want to eat in the place like that and only people coming there will be the one's who simply go there for smoke. I think they should change their business if they really want people to smoke there. Instead of restaurant they should have opened a bar. These people are in wrong profession and there license should be cancelled .

Oh my goodness! The ash trays seem to be there to practically "encourage" people to smoke! That reminds me one time we were in a restaurant and an older person asked to sit at our table. We let her sit there, but once she started smoking we had to ask her to stop smoking or leave our table, but it took her a while to leave.

I did not know they had those laws there! I would just do as you did and not give the restaurant my business. There are too many laws anyway. The restaurants who provide for non-smokers will attract their business while those that allow people to smoke will attract that clientele. I think that private business owners should be allowed to conduct their business as they see fit and the market will sort out where the customers go. If I don't like the menu, the atmosphere, the customers or anything else I will leave a restaurant. If people were smoking there (no smoking in public places here in the US) I'd also leave but I would not report them. It's their business, not mine, not the city's, the county's or the federal government's.

I would have told them to put out their cigs, if they didn't like it then I would have called the fire department because they were breaking the law. If a No Smoking sign is posted then it should be obeyed. I think people who smoke are nasty, they don't care and you cannot tell them what to do, they won't listen, they think they can do whatever. I would take a spray bottle next time and it anybody lit up I would soak them. People are rude and obviously their parents didn't teach them very well.

I'm a smoker myself but I wouldn't smoke in a place with "no smoking" sign... That's not really fair not only to nonsmokers but other smokers who follow the rules... I would've called better business for something like that... Restaurant can get fined heavily for that... If it was just a local thing or that particular restaurant rule, that would be one thing, but I believe it's state law issue at this point...

Hi of state law talked to management. If they do Not do any thing.file compliant with town and state and all So let your non smoking Facebk friends know.

I'm a bad asthmatic, so I would have told the waiter that I'm leaving bevause I can't be choked up while trying to enjoy a meal. I would have severe problems come bedtime too, so I would not tolerate their complacency. They would never have me for a customer either.

Hi That's really bad. The restaurant management itself is not interested in following the rules made by them. When there is a notice they have to follow it. I can't stand such places. The smell doesn't even suit my health so i will be far from such smoke areas as far as possible.

If there was a law against smoking in public places, then it should be reported to the authorities. If there was no such law n the district where the restaurant was and you consumed a meal having seen the 'No Smoking' sign on the way in, then it could be construed that the smoke free nature of the restaurant was an implied term of the contract you entered into when ordering your meal. I appreciate from what you write that it looks like you left before ordering, but if you had you might have been justified in arguing that you were refusing to pay due to the smoke nuisance as the restaurant was in breach of its contract with you. Sorry this is a bit vague but in the UK (and in France too where I now live), smoking in restaurants, bars pubs etc is banned by law (unless outside or on an unenclosed terrace).

I thought smoking was banned and prohibited in restaurants? Certainly in the UK, smoking bans are enforced in pubs, clubs and restaurants, and by the by most if not all people will abide by the rule, even on public transport and stations it is against the law, you will of course get the few who will deliberately flout the laws. In your case I would have definitely of walked out, what is the point in putting up signs in the first place? They have lost your business because of it, and doubtless others too! Oh well, their loss.