MUSCATINE, Iowa — A Muscatine bar will lose its liquor license for 21 days for violating the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, according to the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.

Tailgaters, 214 Iowa Ave., will not be allowed to serve alcohol beginning Monday, Aug. 3. It is the first bar in the county to lose its liquor license for violating the smoking ban.

The complaint against Tailgaters was filed on Jan. 30 in response to reports from customers that on multiple occasions individuals were smoking inside the bar. Ashtrays were also on the tables and proper signage was not posted.

In September and October 2008, police made four reports of failure to obey the Smokefree Air Act. The bar’s owner, Herb Creighton, was sent a notice of potential violation on Oct. 15, 2008.

The decision to suspend Tailgaters liquor license was made on June 25 and Creighton was given 30 days from that time to file an appeal.

Creighton was not available for comment Monday. According to a bartender at the establishment, he is out of town.

Court documents show that Creighton owns 29 percent of Tailgaters, his wife owns 20 percent and his mother owns 51 percent, but their names are not listed in the court documents.

The Smokefree Air Act took effect on July 1, 2008, and bans smoking in most public places. In addition to not allowing smoking, business owners are required to remove ashtrays from their establishments, post proper signage about the law and make an effort to require that customers and employees not smoke inside the establishment.