First Feud Over Va. Smoking Law

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Posted: 12:50 PM Aug 27, 2010 First Feud Over Va. Smoking Law FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) The first showdown over Virginia's new smoking law is brewing not in the state's tobacco country, but in a shopping mall where shop owners say lighting up is part of the experience. Email Address: news@newsplex.com

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The first showdown over Virginia's new smoking law is brewing not in the state's tobacco country, but in a shopping mall where shop owners say lighting up is part of the experience.

More than 100 shops are at the Eden Center about five miles from the nation's capital, catering to people looking for a taste of Vietnam. Many say an authentic experience at a Saigon-style nightclub includes smoking cigarettes.

The smoking law, which took effect Dec. 1, allows only few exceptions and makes it illegal to smoke in most restaurants and
bars.

Penalties aren't severe, with a fine of $25. But Dylan Nguyen, who manages his family's Tay Do restaurant at the mall, says enforcement has cut business by more than 20 percent.