Colorado Judge Upholds Stage Smoking Ban

A Colorado judge refuses to lift a state ban on smoking for theatre productions. The judge “ruled the act of smoking, even in performance, ‘is not inherently an expressive behavior,’ and therefore does not qualify for free-speech protections under the U.S. constitution. The plaintiffs had argued that any action performed on a stage – from a gesture to body language to smoking – communicates a meaningful artistic expression that must be protected.”