Many states have laws now that people have to smoke outside the building, either in designated places or just on the sidewalk.
My question is, could a person create a business such as a cigar shop where the only things that ever happen in this building is cigars are bought and then smoked in a lounge environment?
When smoking bans go into place, there’s usually some sort of legal workaround that lets things like cigar bars keep operating. Often they’ll allow them to operate as “private clubs” or even operate part of the bar as a private club, and the rest of it as a normal lounge.
However, the authorities are usually willing to go along with the legal fictions to allow venerable old institutions to keep operating (particularly if it’s a cigar bar that has historically served as a figurative and literal “smoke filled room” of local politics,) but will probably be less likely to go along with it if you’re trying to start a new one.
There are a bunch of them in New York City. Not freestanding buildings, but they’ve jumped through whatever hoops the law requires (which include, I believe, separate ventilation systems from the rest of the building), and you can buy and smoke cigars at these places.
If you are a heavy smoker (cigarettes, cigars or the horrible vapes) don’t come to the UK. Not only is it illegal almost everywhere, it will get you some rude comments and loud coughs. Even in a private house, it can be illegal - if for example, you employ staff, or have a health visitor (it becomes their workplace).
Vapes are popular, but fast going the same way as tobacco.
My old boss runs a hookah bar on Long Island, in NY. So that sort of smoking business is allowed. It may be more than a few years old, but I doubt its an “old boy’s institution”, or something like that. Mind you, business is down lately, since the age for smoking products has jumped to 21.
Arizona passed a smoking ban many years ago when I still hung out in bars. The “loophole” was that if your establishment generated >30% of revenue from retail tobacco sales you could allow smoking indoors.
There are as many detailed answers as there are jurisdictions. In the US alone that’s 50-plus states or similar, 3000 counties, and 50,000 incorporated municipalities. Then there’s the rest of the world.
Tell us where and we’ll tell you what.
You’re not supposed to smoke outside of businesses, either, but who’s going to stop you?