Governor John deJongh Jr. signed the Virgin islands Smoke-Free Act this week but sent it back to the Senate for some tweaking. He said some of the definitions in the law need fine tuning to be more specific. Specifically there are exceptions for some 'private clubs' and 'enclosed areas' which should be clarified.
Read the Daily News' report of the No Smoking bill signing here
"Under the new law smoking would be completely prohibited from restaurants and bars as well as public venues including parks, beaches, playgrounds, retail stores and public transportation waiting areas," according to an analysis by the AARP. (Read its statement here)
The Virgin Islands Daily News said the Governor thought that making a violation of the smoking ban a misdemeanor 'criminalizes smokers.' He urged the Senate to soften the penalty.Read the Daily News' report of the No Smoking bill signing here