When the District floated the idea of a smoking ban in bars and restaurants, opponents warned that business would simply flee to less restrictive locales — namely Virginia. But that may change, even if slowly.

The Post is reporting that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has proposed a smoking ban in the state’s restaurants, a dramatic move for a tobacco-growing state that forbids local governments from enacting limits stronger than statewide restrictions (though Alexandria recently proposed a novel way to skirt the ban on bans). Virginia considered a similar smoking ban in 2005, but it was shot down a year later. Of course, none of this means that Virginia’s bars are soon going smoke-free. Kaine made it clear that he opposes any such restrictions, but as many other tobacco-growing states can attest, smoking bans have a tendency to pick up steam as they go along. And in proposing the smoking ban for restaurants, Kaine advocated for the health and safety of workers and patrons, logic that has been similarly applied to justify bans in bars.

With Kaine’s proposal, the metropolitan region is starting to look less and less friendly to smokers. The District’s comprehensive ban took effect in January of this year, while Maryland’s legislature endorsed a ban of their own just last week. If the momentum continues, Virginia won’t be a smoker’s refuge for much longer.