Smoking By-Laws??

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2004-10-13 7:12 PM

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Extreme Veteran
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Thunder Bay, Ontario
Subject: Smoking By-Laws??

Our city went smoke-free July 1st and now there is so much dissent among bar-owners claiming they are going bankrupt because of this new law!!  I know the province of British Columbia is smoke-free, a lot of cities in Ontario (where I'm in) have gone smoke free, what about the U.S.??  Has anyone encountered this in their city or are there proposals to go that way??  I for one am actually for this.... hubby & I now go to bars/clubs more frequently because they are non-smoking.  What about anyone else? 

I know.... a lot of pros & cons (hopefully mostly pro going non-smoking) on this topic.... being an ex-smoker myself,
BUT.... I SAW THE LIGHT!!!!! - actually asthma took over - and my father dying of lung cancer - go figure

I know big controversy on this... but seeing as most of us wanna be athletic!!......................

2004-10-13 7:33 PM
in reply to: #72137

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Regular
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San Diego, CA
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
You cannot smoke in any bars or restaurants in California (except on some outdoor patios). I absolutely love it!!!

I just moved here from the midwest and used to hate getting home at night and still smelling like the bar. Even worse was the smell of my pillow the next morning from my smokey hair!

NY has also passed this law. I'm not sure if it is the whole state, but I know you can't smoke in bars/restaurants in the Albany area.
2004-10-13 7:55 PM
in reply to: #72137

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
my home town of duluth went smoke free a couple years ago, and businesses have actually done better than they were doing pre-smoking ban. businesses have to report to the city, so its in writing that the smoking ban did not hurt. my dad is a semi-retired pulmonary physician, so he was very involved with the smoking ban in duluth. both st. paul, minneapolis, and at least one of the suburbs (bloomington, which is home of the mall of america), recently passed smoking bans as well. both metro counties have also drafted smoking bans.

as a mother and an asthmatic, i have my own reasons to prefer a smoke free environment. however, i think the bottom line is protecting the health of employees. in australia, restaurants have been sued by employees who have developed lung cancer after years of being exposed to second hand smoke. its only a matter of time before there are suits here. for anyone who thinks second hand smoke is no big deal, think again! then read the facts: http://www.smokefreecoalition.org/issues/secondhandsmoke/facts/inde...

ps. i am thinking of doing some fundraising rides and walks for ms...but i'm also thinking about doing tris as a member of 'team lung' next season. for more information: http://www.alamn.org/events/TeamLung.asp

2004-10-13 7:55 PM
in reply to: #72137

Champion
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Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??

Same here in Massachusetts.  You can not smoke in the workplace now, and this includes some large factories.  Restaurants are all smoke free as well.  The only places that allow smoking are private clubs, like the Elks, VFW, etc.

2004-10-13 7:59 PM
in reply to: #72137

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Elite Veteran
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Smyrna, Georgia
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??

Certain cities in the U.S. are going smoke free.  It's just starting to hit the Atlanta area.  On one hand, I support it because I am an ex-smoker and now cannot stand the smell of smoke, not to mention the health effects.  On the other hand, I support a private business's right to conduct business how it sees fit.  And on another hand (I'm adding a few limbs), the people who work in those places are forced to work in an unhealthy environment.  And on a fourth, and final hand, some business owners have actually spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on state-of-the-art ventilation systems to nearly eliminate the smoke, so they're being unfairly penalized.  Maybe we could establish the law, but then have an exception for businesses where the smoke levels are controled by such systems.

Well, regardless, businesses are free to reorganize as private clubs and charge a minimal annual membership fee to avoid such restrictions.

2004-10-13 8:10 PM
in reply to: #72156

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molto veloce mama
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Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
Whit - 2004-10-13 6:59 PM

  On the other hand, I support a private business's right to conduct business how it sees fit.



i agree with you whit, but restaurants and bars still have to conform to health code both for the sake of the customers as well as the employees.


And on a fourth, and final hand, some business owners have actually spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on state-of-the-art ventilation systems to nearly eliminate the smoke, so they're being unfairly penalized. 



* Ventilation systems and designated smoking sections do not protect people from the dangerous toxins in secondhand smoke (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers 2000).

* Secondhand smoke is more than visible "smoke." Ventilation systems are not equipped to filter out the deadly toxins you cannot see or smell (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, 1999).



2004-10-14 9:26 AM
in reply to: #72137

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Elite
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Reno
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
I used to think that these bans were too much - that government should not get involved in every aspect of business and people should be free to make choices. I have never smoked myself, but figured elimating smoking from a bar on the basis of health was a bit contradictory.

Then I spent a weekend in Summit County, Colorado, and saw the light. It was so pleasant to go out! So, ok, my personal comfort now outweighs the constitution!

Edited by bootygirl 2004-10-14 9:26 AM
2004-10-14 10:02 AM
in reply to: #72137

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Champion
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Montague Gold Mines, Nova Scotia
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
These complaints all came about in Nova Scotia as well (smoke free in the Halifax Regional Municipality before 9pm), but for the most part they have died away. I thought at first that it might be too much (including the 3 metre from an entrance rule) but the improvement in quality of life when you go to a restuarant is amazing. I didn't even notice how much I hated the smoke until it was gone.
2004-10-14 10:32 AM
in reply to: #72137

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Veteran
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Philadelphia, PA
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
Add in the entire States of New York and Delaware. Can't wait for NJ and PA to follow suit.

In NYC, there are even designated areas outside where you have to smoke. ie, you can't just go directly outside of a bar/restaurant ...many times, its a walk to tthe corner, which bothers a lot of people, especially when its cold out.

I am not a smoker and love these bans. Was just over in Ireland and they have adopted it as well.
2004-10-14 11:27 AM
in reply to: #72137

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Expert
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Colchester, CT
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
Add in the state of Connecticut as well. No smoking in public establishments. Only Private clubs. It's nice to go out to a bar then not come home smelling like an ash tray, or getting a wiff of those clothes the next day when you are hung over :-)

Chris
2004-10-14 4:12 PM
in reply to: #72137

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Elite
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Venture Industries,
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??
In Florida there is no smoking allowed in public buildings, obviously But also in resteraunts. The issue in Florida has to do with how a resteraunt is defined. It has to do with what percentage of a businesses sales are food based. The result here has actually been that small Mom & Pop and local bars have in fact lost money. This occurs because if a bar serves bar food and the proceeds are at the set sales level ( I believe it's 30%) then they most enforce the smoking ban. These are bars, many of them have purposely decreased their food menues inorder to stay under the percentage, which ultimately costs them money because the simply aren't selling as much food.

I would suspect, just a hunch, that larger resteraunts and chains haven't been effected at all. It only seems to be the small local places that are taking a financial hit because of this.

2004-10-14 4:29 PM
in reply to: #72137

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Pro
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Helena, MT
Subject: RE: Smoking By-Laws??

Ft. Collins went Smoke Free just about a year ago. To me, it was extra incentive to go to bars! I didn't have to stink and no temptation as a former smoker. At first everyone was yellin' and screamin' and bars were actually emptier. But it's all subsided now. Bars are packed as ever. I think that maybe some of the older crowd who smoked may have stayed home for good, but the younger (as in under 40 or 50) people weren't deterred for long. A LOT of people have even quit smoking.

Tell them to get over it! It'll all blow over soon!

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