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Written by Lauren Ohnesorge
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Monday, 30 April 2007 01:26 |
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A bill to ban smoking in all nursing and adult-care facilities won approval of the House Aging Committee last week.
Lawmakers hope such a bill will prevent fires like the blaze that killed one and injured 21 others at a residential care facility in Mocksville. Investigators believed that fire began when a resident began smoking on a porch near personal oxygen tanks. The measure would issue a fine of up to $200 to any facility where someone was found smoking. While smoking is already banned in patients’ rooms, homes are currently allowed to set up indoor smoking lounges for residents. The bill’s next stop is a judiciary committee.
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