At Annie’s Paramount Steak House near Dupont Circle, the ashtrays are off the tables for good, even though District officials misinformed businesses about when the city’s smoking ban would go into effect.

The D.C. Health Department sent letters to business owners last month and issued a news release last week that said the law would go into effect yesterday. But the smoking ban will really go into effect today.

“Each one of us called the mayor’s office and got a different answer each time,” said Leigh Hendricks, one of the managers at Annie’s. Each manager also got a different definition of where smoking will still be allowed.

The provisions of the ban implemented today cover the dining areas of restaurants and most indoor workplaces. The ban provides exemptions for outdoor areas, hotel rooms, retail tobacco outlets and cigar bars. In 2007, it will expand to include bars, bar areas of restaurants and nightclubs and will provide an economic hardship waiver for businesses that demonstrate a “significant negative impact.”

The D.C. Council approved the ban in January, and the confusion over the implementation date came about because city officials miscounted the number of days Congress had to review the legislation. Congress has 30 legislative days, when one or both houses are in session, to review acts passed by the District.

Source: Washington Post