1.   Until recently voluntary smoking bans had operated in most areas.

2.   As smoking bans grow, some lines have also latched onto the popularity of cigar smoking.

3.   Banning smoking in some Massachusetts restaurants did not hurt their business, according to the largest study to date of the economic impact of municipal smoking bans in eateries.

4.   Berman and Co. have fought smoking bans and lower drunk- driving limits.

5.   -- Limits the power of county health districts to enact smoking bans.

6.   A tobacco industry-backed initiative that has qualified for the November ballot would put less stringent smoking bans into state law.

7.   Adding insult to injury, antismoking crusaders now go around claiming that smoking bans are actually good for business.

8.   Businesses that do not have smoking bans would be well-advised to initiate them, Longo said.

9.   But smoking bans have run into problems in some places.