Stadium smoking a no-no

CINCINNATI (AP) _ The Bengals and Reds have been advised to prohibit smoking in Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park to comply with a state law that takes effect next week.

The teams had requested guidance from the Hamilton County prosecutor's office on how to respond to voters' Nov. 7 passage of state Issue 5, which bans smoking in most buildings across the state.

The county-owned football and baseball stadiums have designated smoking areas in concourses or stairs. The Bengals and Reds believed smoking ban rules on those areas were unclear.

Assistant Prosecutor Nee Fong Chin sent an e-mail Wednesday explaining that business owners must prohibit smoking, post no-smoking signs with a telephone number to report violations and remove all ashtrays or other smoking receptacles.

''The law will now prohibit smoking on open-air stair landings, open ramps in designated areas if visitors can be influenced by secondhand smoke. Smoking will be prohibited in suites,'' she wrote.

By city ordinance, smoking already was prohibited in the seating areas of both stadiums.