Non Smoking

What is the minimum sentence for smoking in a non smoking area in the state of California?

Actually it is not considered a sentence. More like a fine. In a bar the fine would be levied on the bar owner to the tune of 1,000. I'm not sure what an individual would be fined.

2008-06-19 12:20:35 by uttung t

This is a great non-smoking ad, very creative and especially hilarious! That can#39;t be healthy.

If not, how did they keep the smoke from drifting into the non-smoking area?

No, there was no wall, and the smoke went everywhere. And before that smoking was permitted all over the plane, and most airlines (as I recall Alaska was a notable exception) gave mini packs of cigarettes on meal trays!

2008-09-28 07:01:12 by Steve

I recently stayed at a non smoking hotel. I disabled the smoke detector, I guess they sensed that. When I went to check out they have charged me a $250 fee for smoking. The hotel does have no smoking signs, but the only thing they have on me is that I disabled the detector. Do I have a right to fight this charge? Can I win it?

A hotel can definitely charge you for smoking in a non-smoking room. In my state the "normal" fee is $100 and is supported by legislation to that effect. The $250 may sound a bit high, but it may be allowed in your state. You could check with your Attorney General's office to see if your state sets a limit for hotels and if that limit was exceeded you could get the charge reduced. You could fight the charge, but you should know that disabling the smoke detector is not the way they determined that you were smoking in the room. It was likely reported to the front office by the housekeeping staff who either smelled the smoke in the room or found evidence such as cigarette butts or ashes which they may have kept as proof but even if it was just the odor, they will have had more than one member of the housekeeping staff or management enter the room to verify it and they will testify or make statements in any legal proceeding you may attempt. It will then be you're word against theirs and as I said they will have more than one staff member who will say the same thing. And if you make it a legal issue, and lose you will likely be liable for court costs and attorney fees as well. You can try to request an intervention from your credit card company by disputing the charge. However, they will contact the hotel who will respond with the statements from the employees and you would likely lose the dispute.

Don't be too upset with the hotel for charging you. In some states if a hotel advertises as a non-smoking hotel and someone smokes in it and they do not charge them for doing so, the hotel can be considered in violation of local and state ordinances governing non-smoking properties as well as found guilty of false advertising and be fined up to $10,000 - all because someone smoked in your non-smoking room without your permission but you did nothing about it. Charging the customer who did this not only helps them pay for the additional cleaning required to restore the room to a non-smoking status which includes dry cleaning the drapes, steam cleaning the carpet and upholstered furniture, deodorizing the mattress and box springs, and throwing out the pillows, but it also shows the state that the hotel did not condone the action of the customer who smoked in their non-smoking room so that they can avoid that fine from the state.

By the way, cigarette smoke isn't likely to set off a smoke detector - smoking rooms are required to have them too - so please don't disable it if there is a next time you want to smoke in a non-smoking room - it really isn't a good idea - hotel guests and staff need every warning possible in the event of a fire. Hotel fires are rare but do happen and it is against the law to tamper with the smoke detectors or any other safety equipment in a hotel.

So, do you have a right to fight the charge? Absolutely. You have the right to fight any charge from any business. Can you win it? Probably not.

I'm sure this isn't the answer that you hoped for, but I hope it helps you understand why the hotel charged you.

PS Hotels didn't normally charge for these types of issues until the government started fining them for violating the rights of the non-smokers. So chalk this up to one more problem government regulations have caused.

2008-11-09 08:45:45 by Roger W

Price: $10.95 $10.95

Hint: The year is 1993 and most non-smoking trivia people will not remember this. 10 points to the first person who gets this.

Hanauma beach in Hawaii

2008-03-30 23:41:09 by SilentDoGood

The lease specifies in a sentence that this is a "non-smoking apartment". However, there is no non-smoking policy. There is nothing written specifically prohibiting smoking in the building or the premises. Does this mean I can smoke on the balcony or maybe in the parking lot? I live in Indiana.

Outside

2009-08-26 12:25:15 by ki55nte11