By Michael Rothstein, The Journal Gazette
The gray ash and butt from a cigarette sit in an ashtray at Good Thymes. Two people relax in the back, the only non-employees in this Van Wert, Ohio, bar on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon.
One man smokes a pipe, but here's the rub: Look on the far wall. See the no-smoking sign. Then notice the ashtrays, which outnumber people on this particular day.
Manager and property owner Paul Moening says he asks people to go outside in accordance with Ohio's newly enacted statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. He points to the posted signs when he sees customers smoking. Yet, when asked about the ashtrays, also illegal, Moening gives a small smile bordering on a smirk.
"I don't know how they are going to enforce it," the 53-year-old businessman said. "We'll see."
Bars and restaurants in Fort Wayne could face similar issues if the new city smoking ordinance goes into effect Friday. Fort Wayne smokers might go to bordering communities with less stringent policies to avoid the citywide smoking ban, or, like in Ohio, some establishments could choose to ignore the ban and risk warnings and fines.