12/08/2005: "Ferries, Terminals Smoke Free Today, December 8"

Beginning this Thursday, smokers who travel on board Washington State Ferries will need to find somewhere else to smoke - all ferries will be smoke free.

Fines for smoking can be up to $10,000 for smoking on the car deck, less at the terminals.

"We appreciate how hard this will be on our passengers and our employees, especially on the longer routes," says Director of Operations Traci Brewer-Rogstad. "But with the passage of Initiative 901, it is clear that the people of Washington want their public facilities smoke-free."

While smoking will be banned within 25 feet of any terminal doorway, vents, windows or walkways, Washington State Ferries is still grappling with customers smoking in vehicles in the holding areas
"We are going to fully implement the new law and early indications are that our customers more than welcome this," says Brewer Rogstad. "Since Monday evening, an overwhelming number of e-mail from customers - roughly 5 to 1 - support the move to implement Washington's new smoking law.

"In the effort to fully comply with the law," continues Brewer-Rogstad, "We anticipate there will be details of the program that we will be working out as we receive updated direction from the Washington Attorney General's Office. As that updated information becomes available to us, we will share it with our customers and staff."