January 1, no smoking!

[PrincessPerky]

I absolutely hate smoke but if it is legal to smoke then why ban it in bars? I don't agree with people smoking around kids but in night life and on the streets, to each its own.

Because non pregnant I want to be able to go to a bar..but with smokers there, I can't.

[disneysteve]

I absolutely hate smoke but if it is legal to smoke then why ban it in bars? I don't agree with people smoking around kids but in night life and on the streets, to each its own.

Because the nearly 80% majority of adults who don't smoke should have the freedom to go to a bar or a restaurant or a casino or anywhere else.

[sweeps]

I'm a nonsmoker and love the smoking ban.. but just to play devil's advocate:

Shouldn't a bar or restaurant owner have a say over how to run his establishment? If he's fine with excluding 80% of his potential customers by allowing smoking, and the patrons who choose to go in there are adults who understand and accept the health risk of first- and second-hand smoke, what gives the government the right to stop him?

This is not the same as banning smoking in a government building, where people do not have a choice but to do business there.

[disneysteve]

sweeps - There are a great many things that the government regulates about how businesses operate. Should a restaurant owner be able to decide he doesn't want to follow the health code? We're all adults. We can decide if we want to take the risk of eating there. Maybe a busy nightclub decides it is too expensive to install sprinklers and fire extinguishers. Should that be okay?

We know much more about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke than we used to. That warrants stricter rules and regulations regarding where people are allowed to smoke.

Bar owners can't decide who they can serve alcohol to. They need to observe local laws and limit alcohol consumption to customers 21 and over. Sure, alcohol is legal, but there are still all kinds of restrictions on it's use. Tobacco is no different. It is a legal substance but there are restrictions on when, where and by whom it can be used.

[JanH]

One of the towns here banned smoking in restaurants and the bar owners got upset. However, we love it in the restaurants. Some bar owners set up outside patio areas with TVs that they can use for smoking patrons. I love being able to smell and taste my food and not the smoke left behind. Even with good ventilation systems, I still seem to have a problem with smoke. And it really affects my DD. And it was difficult to find a restaurant where we wouldn't smell it. Until the ban. I think after a year or two, one of the bar owners closed, but admitted that he was moving--it had nothing to do with the smoking ban. In fact, I think he said it hadn't affected him that much. Having grown up with a dad who smoked a pipe part of my life, I consider it a form of pollution. And pollution in our area is regulated. I had a friend who smoked and I never preached to her about it. It was totally her freedom to do so. I just can't hang around the home of someone who does. And I don't want to pay to have a nice dinner out and go home feeling cruddy. And if the ban keeps my DD from getting sick from going out to eat and maybe missing school or something, then I totally agree with it.

[cicy33]

Well, as the original poster I wanted to report on how our local business is doing. My best friend and her husband own a local restaurant here with a huge bar. Surprisingly their business has INCREASED. We were talking about it the other night. And came to the conclusion most people do not like the smell. So now those people can come out and relax and enjoy a drink without the cigarettes. For myself, I love being able to relax and not have to have someone come in and sit and chain smoke next to me. But my dh does smoke, he just goes outside.

[disneysteve]

Surprisingly their business has INCREASED.

I don't find that surprising at all. Most smokers I know prefer smoke-free restaurants. They don't like breathing in other people's smoke while eating anymore than non-smokers do.

Also, the smoking bans make a place more appealing to non-smokers who previously avoided places where smoking was allowed. Prior to our state ban, there were maybe 10 restaurants that we frequented. Since the ban went into effect, we have tried a couple dozen places that we had never been to before because they previously allowed smoking. We also went back to some places that we had tried once pre-ban and liked except for the smoke. Now we can go there and enjoy ourselves without getting sickened.

As I mentioned earlier, many restaurants, even those with large bars, have found they are now attracting a different demographic - families - who previously wouldn't have ever considered taking their kids to a smoky bar.