Smokeless Nights Out

More and more people worldwide have come to realize that they can have a good time and a healthy life-style without smoking. It is not the smoking bans which are now being enforced throughout the U.S., but the fact that fewer people are finding it necessary to light up. It is not necessary for the proposal to ban cigarette and cigar smoke in restaurants and bars to list the statistics of severe illness and death from a lifetime of smoking to convince legislators that a ban is needed to keep local patrons as well as tourists free from harmful smoke- even second-hand smoke in bars and restaurants. What is proposed is the success other states and cities are having with "no smoking" laws and statistics that prove it does not hurt the business- in fact encourages those who are and have become non-smokers to go out more often.

One success story is Oklahoma: " Oklahomans who want the smoke to stay in the kitchen when they go out to eat have reason to rejoice. New legislation signed by Gov. Brad Henry on May 7 offers financial incentives to restaurants to close their smoking rooms and make their establishments completely smoke free" ("Oklahoma targets..." 30).

Since June, 2010, Michigan has also had a ban on smoking in public places. And despite the protests of some restaurant owners, their places of business- as long as they are open to the public, are considered "public places." To those in Michigan who seemed to oppose this legislation, one columnist had an answer: " The question of customer and employee loyalty always seems to come up in these debates, and it always seems to be answered by the question of customer mortality. In short, nonsmokers might not go to your bar or casino, but on the other hand, dead people don't drink or gamble anywhere; nor do they serve drinks" (Checket-Hanks 22).

Studies done by well-respected research ers seem to show that neither business nor emp loyment suffers from a no-smoking law. In fact, more and more states are now enacting such measures: ".As of April 20, 2009, 15 states plus Puerto Rico had comprehensive laws in effect prohibiting smoking in all workplaces, restaurants and bars, according to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation. Three additional states had passed similar laws, or recently added smoke-free bars to their laws, that are not yet in effect. Hundreds of municipalities also have enacted smoking bans of varying levels" ("Ohio State University" 150).

If there is any economic fall-out of smoking bans, it may affect bars more than restaurants because statistics have always shown that smokers tend to drink more and those who frequent bars, rather than bar-restaurants or restaurants tend to light up while drinking. On the otber hand, family-friendly restaurants- those catering to families with children- tend to see their business improve as more and more parents become concerned with the effect of second-hand smoke on their children. These adults tend to seek out those establishments who advertise smoke-free environment, even when there is a local or state law forbidding smoking.

While many no-smoking laws used to pertain only to the inside of an establishment- meaning patrons could step outside to light up, there are now municipalities which forbid smoking anywhere where food is served. While there are some smokers who feel their rights are somehow violated, there have been few disturbances once anti-smoking laws are passed.

No Smoking legislation makes as much sense as the Surgeon-General's warning on cigarette packs, warnings which will be drastically changed for literally horror story implications due to smoking. And it must be stated that it is not really "illegal" to smoke. It is merely against the law to smoke where second hand smoke could affect people around a smoker. As fewer people will be smoking in the future, there should be less objection to enforcing no-smoke legislation in public eating places, and even any other public gathering place.

References:

Checket-Hanks, Barbara: "Michigan joins nonsmoking states"

Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration News

Dec 21, 2009 . Vol. 238, Iss. 16; pg. 22

"Ohio State University; Study: Smoking bans do not cause job

losses in bars and restaurants" NewsRx Health and Science

June 21, 2009 p. 150

"Oklahoma targets second-hand smoke in restaurants"

The American City and County June 2919, Vol. 125 issue 6