Atlanta OKs ban on smoking inside bars, restaurant, airport

ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta's city council has approved a far-reaching ban on smoking and vaping in restaurants and bars - and inside one of the world's busiest airports.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that city council members approved the ban on Monday. It covers cigarettes, cigars and electronic cigarettes. If signed by the mayor, it would take effect on Jan. 2, 2020.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is one of the few major U.S. hubs where people can still smoke inside designated rooms.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a 2017 report that most busy U.S. airports ban smoking in all indoor areas. Denver International Airport last year closed the last of its indoor smoking lounges and is now smoke-free indoors.