There’s a movement in my town trying to get the city to ban smoking in all public places of business, including all bars. What is your opinion on this?
To ban or not to ban, and why?
-Regards, TM a non-smoker (who thinks there’s enough government regulations in our lives)
P.S. There’s a non-smoking bar opening here soon, in the exact spot another one failed miserably.
I like the idea of public places (like government buildings) being non-smoking, but pubs? Naw. Some people go there for the smoky atmosphere. I don’t need to, nor want to go there. No skin off my nose if people smoke like chimneys in there.
(I am, obviously, a non-smoker.)
Non-smoker who drinks like a fish in bars. I don’t have a problem with this ban. I don’t like government interfereing with private lives but, on this issue, I can see where it’s good for all.
It’s something that effects others so, I can see where some regulation would be put in place.
It’s a “disturbing-the-peace” issue in a way.
Ah, same thing here, Tony Montana.
I seems to me that if the demand were truly there, then there would be lots of non-smoking pubs.
Me, I’d like a ban on yappy teenagers in pubs, bad background music in pubs,… but I’m not dashing around trying to legislate for it. Long time since i’ve been in a pub, so it’s a bit academic, but I really don’t think much of having too much interfering legislation. After all, local councils are usually not exactly perfect at doing the things that ARE properly within their remit… so what makes them think they should use their time trying to do extra thins?
I am so against smoking bans in bars.
There’s a reason that bar owners are against it, as well. If I can’t smoke while I drink, I’ll drink at home.
People know what they’re getting into when they walk into the damn place.
Speaking as a non-smoker who likes a drink: why should I have to put up with somebody else’s foul habits while I’m trying to indulge in mine?
Let the damn market decide. There’s nothing saying you can’t ban smoking in your own bar; the fact that hardly anyone does should tell you something- bar patrons expect the place to be smoky. Otherwise, they’d go to a cafe.
However, Really- the market makes very poor decisions- or rather, the owners don’t trust the market to make good decisions, so make poor ones. Witness here in CA, where the banning of smoking in bars & pubs was heralded as doom to that industry- and business has remained the same. However, before that, few Pub owners were willing to buck the status quo and try a non-smoking bar.
Actually, most bars report better business (and a few hit both markets by opening an outside annex where smokers could puff away). Seems that non-smokers are in the majority, but they simply stayed home rather than get smoked out and their clothes ruined by going to a bar. I’ll admit that at the very lowest end of the spectrum- the “dive” bar- there has been considerable resistance to the ordinance.
I’m torn. Being a non-smoker, I would love to go to a bar and not have to deal with smoke. Even more, would love to go to a place to eat and not have to deal with smoke. However, I am a firm believer that if there is a market for something, then in a free-market society, that niche will be filled without the need for laws. In other words, if enough people really wanted a smoke-free bar, then there would be smoke-free bars. As an example, some women want to be able to go to a gym and work out without being ogled - and the women-only gyms were born.
I have no problem with smokers as long as they keep the stank to themselves. If I have to smell it then we have a problem.
Yesterday, I went to Great Lakes’ taproom in Cleveland, and it was non-smoking and it was beautiful!!! It was one of the rare times I didn’t come out smelling like a cigarette, and the beer was a bit better without the smoke to ruin my smell.
However, I agree that I just can’t support a smoking ban here in PA, least of all because it would be damaging to the bars I frequent and some of them are barely hanging on as-is. Also, I can’t say that smoking/non-smoking would make much difference in my choice of going, as I go to bars for their selection of craft beer, and if I have to tolerate a pool-hall level of smoke, so be it.
What I never understood about the bar smoking situation was that it’s ok to smoke cigarettes but you’re prohibited (in most places) from smoking a pipe or cigar.
So, what’s the thought here; “THIS smoke is ok but THAT smoke is annoying?” 
In Iowa, a few cities (Ames, Iowa City…maybe another) passed no smoking ordinaces for bars in their towns. Those ordinances were found to be in violation of exisiting Iowa law, and so were overturned (the Iowa lesgislature is looking to amend the exisiting laws to allow local municipalities to have those kinds of bans)
The ironic thing is that many of the bar owners who initially OPPOSED the smoking bans were still keeping the bans in place even without a legislative mandate. Indeed, their patronage didn’t go down like they feared. A lot of non-smokers who normally stayed home were coming out to enjoy drinks…the hard core smokers just stepped outside.
Similar findings here.
NYC currently has a smoking ban, I don’t agree with it, but it’s not terrible, either.
On the other hand, the strangest thing that I realized since the ban was put into place is that a lot of bars smell very, very nasty even without the smoke. Sure, before the bars smelled bad and smoky, and now the bars smell bad, in an unidentified sort of way. Like stale beer, people who have been out too long, and other mysterious stuff.
Of course, maybe this has something to do with the class of bars I frequent …
So the bar owners couldn’t even figure out their own market. We place way too much faith in market forces in this country.
Ignoring the fact that I shouldn’t have to be forced to partake in someone else’s addiction, preventing smoking in places like bars makes for horrible working conditions. And stepping outside for 5 minutes to have a smoke is hardly a hardship.
Non-smoker here. I’d be more inclined to go to a bar if I wasn’t going to come out coughing like a hag and miserable, but I don’t care enough to legislate about it.
Ban. There’s no reason why another person has the power to force me to inhale foul, carcinogenic fumes. Besides, smoking is not a right.
You don’t. You can stay home or go to an other bar that doesn’t allow smoking.
Yet another reason people need to get up off there asses and vote these pretentious conservatives out of office.
This matter should clearly be left up to the owners of said bars.
I felt exactly as you did Tony Montana, when my town passed the same ordinance. But now when I go to a bar in a different town, the smell of smoke overwhelms me.
I have to say, the benefit of not smelling that stench outweighs my personal civil libertarian belief that it is not the government’s business.
Also like to add the only thing the goverment should be able to do is force owners to post a disclaimer at the entrances of their bars so people know weather or not it’s a smoking bar.
The disclaimer should also state the dangers of second hand smoke. In case you happen to get anybody who has been living in a cave on Mars with their fingures stuck in their ears for the past 30 years or so.