Smoking has been banned inside Starbucks shops for years, but many people still grab a coffee and then head for a smoke outside or in a Starbucks outdoor seating area. That is all about to change. Starbucks has banned smoking within 25 feet of its stores.
According to NBC news, most Starbucks shops owned by the company in both the U.S. and Canada will be subject to the 25-foot smoking ban. Even stores that have outdoor seating will abide by the new directive.
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The only exception to the new rule lies with Starbucks locations that are found within other stores. In total, 7,000 stores will change their policies to fit with the ban.
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The Huffintgon Post received some further information on the new rule from Starbucks via email. The representative wrote, "Starbucks takes pride in providing a comfortable environment at our stores where customers and members of the community gather. We always value our customers feedback, and we take seriously our responsibility to provide all customers a safe, healthy environment that is consistent across our company-owned stores. We sincerely thank all customers for their support and cooperation."
So far it's unclear how Starbucks will enforce the ban. Starbucks has joined ranks with many universities and public parks that have also restricted outdoor smoking.
What do you think of the ban?
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