What are the smokeless bars and clubs and restaurants? I don’t go out in D.C. as much as I would (as much as I do in NYC), because of the smoke.

D.C has an active smokefree lobbying group, Smokefree D.C., which regularly goes head-to-head with Ban the Ban and other pro-smoking establishments groups (smoking “choice” if you will). So far, efforts to legislate smokefree bars and restaurants in the District have not panned out, but the debate continues, in bars, at city council meetings, and sometimes right here on DCist.

Smokefree DC maintains a list of 100% smokefree restaurants in the District, noting that many display a smokefree decal in their establishment. Many of these are just that, restaurants, however, Ask DCist wants to point out that the year-old Logan Circle lounge Halo (14th and P St.) and Marty’s (8th St. SE) are both bars on the list that were mentioned to us when we queried people for smokefree bar suggestions. Some places not on the list are smokefree on certain floors and others at certain times of the day including Saint Ex (upstairs) and Bar Pilar before 11 p.m., and both Finn mac Cool’s (713 8th St., SE) and Wonderland (11th and Kenyon, NW) on the upper floor. Additionally, you can always go to Montgomery County, MD, which has been smokefree since 2003.

DCist was just reading that Louisville, KY is the newest municipality to consider a smoking ban in restaurants. In total, seven states — Calfornia, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island — have smokefree workplace laws that include bars and restaurants, and others states have laws pending or taking effect in the next few years. The phenomenon is not a national thing either, with New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, Norway and Uganda going smokefree in all workplaces as well.

Ask DCist does have to say that smokefree bars in D.C. are still a rarity, but with the increasing demand, and the fact two of the country’s known-for-partying cities (New York and Los Angeles) seem to have not imploded by going smokefree, more smokefree establishments will be popping up throughout the District, with or without legislation.