The event will be from 8 to 10:30 p.m. It's organized by the Stanislaus County Health Services Agency's tobacco education program, Early Dawn and KAT Country 103.

Live music, prizes and a live remote by the radio station will be among the evening's activities.

Three years ago, legislators passed a law against smoking in bars. Since then, workers from the Health Services Agency have checked bars for smokers.

In their last check, done in February, workers looked at 60 bars throughout Stanislaus County and found 60 percent of them complied with the law. That's up from 22 percent in 1998.

Wednesday's event is designed to say thanks to people and bars -- such as Early Dawn -- who have complied with the law. Early Dawn Cattle Company created a smoke-free bar as well as an outdoor smoking area.

For information, call 558-6053.

Reprinted by permission of Modesto Bee