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acceptable to both parties and houses of the General Assembly.
“The compromise strikes a fair balance between the rights of smokers who choose to enjoy a legal product and the rights of other individuals who want to enjoy a smoke-free environment when eating at a restaurant,” said House Speaker William Howell (RF redericksburg).
Last week, legislators rejected Kaine’s proposal to raise the cigarette tax by 30 cents per pack. Kaine said the increase could raise $147 million, which would help offset the nearly $400 million the state pays for smoking-related illnesses.
Secondhand smoke is responsible for about 1,700 deaths per year, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The state spends $113 million a year on health-care expenditures related to exposure to secondhand smoke.
The smoking-ban agreement puts Virginia on a growing list of states that are curbing smoking in restaurants. Twenty-three
92.8%