HELENA – Smoking in Montana’s bars, casinos and restaurants was forbidden Oct. 1, but some Great Falls residents are complaining the prohibition isn’t being enforced.
That’s prompted the Great Falls City Commission at a meeting Tuesday to again take up an issue many had thought resolved last month.
City Manager Greg Doyon says in addition to complaints about enforcement, the Cascade County Tavern Association has raised concerns about how the restriction is affecting its members’ businesses.
Several taverns have erected outbuildings or outdoor patios to try to provide customers with a place to light up.
Across Montana, most public places went smoke-free in 2005 after the Legislature passed the Clean Indoor Air Act. But that bill extended the deadline to this year for bars open to adults that got most of their revenue from alcohol and gambling.