Smoking ban necessary, inevitable

After being enforced for a little more than 12 hours, the Allegheny County smoking ban was… After being enforced for a little more than 12 hours, the Allegheny County smoking ban was put on hold once again.

At a hearing on Monday afternoon, Common Pleas Judge Michael A. Della Vecchia rejected a proposal to prolong a delay in implementing the county’s ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. The ban went into effect at midnight Monday night.

But this ruling was soon overturned after an injunction was issued by the Commonwealth Court yesterday to allow smoking in Mitchell’s Restaurant and Bar, Smithfield Cafe and the like, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

We applaud Judge Della Vecchia in his original decision. He has remained consistent in his effort to implement the ban. Now, however, Allegheny County is in a state of “limbo,” according to Robert Borgoyne, assistant county solicitor.

As the ban went into effect, many bar and restaurant owners became worried. James G. Mitchell of Mitchell’s Restaurant said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “We faced the Prohibition