When smoking was prohibited in restaurants and bars, most of smokers especially veterans didn’t like the new regulation. That’s why members of one veterans’ organization plan to continue lighting cigarettes even as Michigan’s smoking ban legislation in public areas was approved.

Leaders of the Royal Canadian Legion Post No. 84 in Royal Oak declared that the new legislation which prohibited smoking in public places and workplaces such as restaurants and bars does not refer to private bars and clubs.

Steve Mace, first vice chief of the 200-members who has studied the new law and said that the bill really doesn’t refer to them.

As he declared, the bill refers only to food establishments, which the Mr. Mace club doesn’t provide, and doesn’t refer to the liquor control act. Like many veterans organizations, the Royal Canadian post of course has a liquor license.

Gary Orban, the club’s chief, said that he has no intentions to interdict to all veterans members not to smoke within of the post.

”I’m not going to inform these old guys that they can’t light and smoke their pipes inside the club. After all they have been absolutely done, all the fights and wars they combated, and this is their home. They only want to be left alone with their pipe or cigarette,” declared Orban, who lives in Royal Oak.

In recent months, the post leadership has interconnected with other organizations for to gather approximately 4,000 signatures on a formal request asking state officials to revise the law to exempt free private clubs that are not open to the public, such as Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion posts.

And in the last month, almost 100 veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam delivered their signatures to state Reps. Phillip Pavlov, D-St. Clair Township; Douglas Geiss, D-Taylor; and Sarah Roberts, D-St. Clair Shores, at the Royal Canadian post.

Roberts, vice preside of the House Military, Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee, reported that no action on the request has been taken especially in Lansing.

“After we took the vote in the House and Senate, that’s when we heard from the veterans’ organizations. Unfortunately, it may be too late. We are conscious of their interests and we’re wishing to have additional debates on this,” said Roberts.

At present, the smoking ban does influence the veterans’ posts, according to Kelly Niebel, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Community Health. “It does refer to anyone who provides food or has a liquor license,” Niebel said.