Smoke-Free: Shift in smoking policy was once unimaginable

RALEIGH (Winston-Salem Journal) - Yesterday was a historic day for North Carolina, the nation's largest tobacco-producing state, Gov. Bev Perdue said as she signed into law a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

Smokers and business owners have some time to prepare -- the ban doesn't take effect until Jan. 2, 2010.

With a celebratory ceremony and a few strokes of her pen, Perdue made official a policy shift that was once inconceivable.