Industry executives say the company is following a general societal trend toward eliminating indoor smoking and reducing the health dangers of secondhand smoke.

Alva's owners said they will comply with the new law by eliminating smoking in the 50-seat dining area while letting patrons puff away at the bar.

But yesterday morning she heard that the railroad was considering cutting the number of smoking cars in half, eliminating smoking altogether on her line, the Long Beach branch.

Mr. Banzhaf said the latest study would be a powerful weapon for eliminating smoking from those public places that still allow it.

Has it eliminated smoking, obviously not but the tax take is used for something more worthwhile.

"The challenge to me is not to eliminate smoking, but the death and disease from smoking," Myers says.

In eliminating smoking on its flights worldwide, Delta acted on the basis of passenger surveys and under pressure from its cabin crews.

Rick J. Sampson, the president of the restaurant association, said it would create a "level playing field" for businesses by eliminating smoking as a draw for customers.

Mr. Campolo did, however, dispute a Star-Ledger report that investigators had eliminated careless smoking and faulty electrical wiring as possible causes.

The board was to consider having one smoking car on some trains and eliminating smoking on all other trains.