Chicago is getting a smoking ban this week for "public places." What's a public place? Well, it's not a restaurant or a tavern; they have until July 1, 2008. Furthermore, establishments that can demonstrate that they have a kickass air filtration system can continue to allow smoking. I'm assuming that "demonstrate" is code for "pay off the inspector" but whatever.

Also this week, the Marshall McGearty Tobacco Artisans Lounge is opening in Wicker Park. As far as I can tell, it's going to be like a brewpub for tobacco...they handroll swanky cigarettes and put them in a fancy box. According to the Sun Times, the place is like a coffee shop with WiFi, board games, sofas, a full bar, desserts and snacks. And deep pockets, the whole venture is underwritten by RJ Reynolds, whose research indicates that 20% of smokers have "a superpremium mindset" whatever the hell that is.

This seems like a fantastic idea, this swanky cigarette place. As someone who enjoys the occasional cigarette, yet would enjoy dancing or eating an omlette a lot more if there wasn't anyone smoking nearby, I think that people should be permitted to vice up SOMEPLACE without huddling near the parking meters. By flagging it as a Tobacco Artisans Lounge, it's a clear signal that there is going to be smoking and lots of it indoors (they claim to have one of those kickass air filtration systems) and if that grosses you out, there are certainly plenty of other places for you to go in the neighborhood.

If tobacco lounges blew up the way coffee shops did, little neighborhood places to sit on old, velvet furniture and smoke, well that sounds awesome.