When Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

In what some observers thought was likely impossible, the State of Connecticut has weakened the 2003 Clean Air Act by allowing some existing cigar lounges to apply for café liquor permits. The Clean Air Act prohibited smoking in bars and restaurants, and most workplaces in the state.

Despite lobbying efforts by public health organizations, including testimony from the state's Commissioner of Public Health, opposing the weakening of the Clean Air Act, a bill was voted out of the General Law Committee of the Assembly, and ultimately brought to a vote in June.

Public Act 23-103 ''An Act Concerning Alcoholic Liquor Permits and Tobacco Bars" which passed in the House of Representatives and Senate by bipartisan votes 111-38 and 29-7, respectively, carved out another exception to the prohibition. Under this newly enacted legislation, which becomes effective October 1, 2023, existing cigar lounges would have to draw sixty percent oftheir revenue from tobacco sales, have a full ventilation system and offer their employees healthcare benefits to be eligible to be considered a tobacco bar in Connecticut, and obtain a café liquor permit.

In addition, only lounges in cities with a population of over 80,000 would be eligible to become tobacco bars, making the new legislation applicable only to Bridgeport, Stamford, Harford, Waterbury, Norwalk, and Danbury. New Haven is not eligible since it already has the one tobacco bar in the entire state, the Owl Shop, and the legislation specifically stated that a city was ineligible if there was already an existing tobacco bar within its borders.

Both cigarettes and chewing tobacco would be prohibited in tobacco bars under the new Act.

With the stringent ventilation system requirements and employee healthcare requirements, it is not expected that we will see a proliferation of such tobacco bars in Connecticut.

We'll see.