no smoking in bars/clubs/restaurants

"Smoking ban promises healthier nightlife

On May 5, 2003, the city of Boston will join the ranks of cities across the nation that have banned smoking in all 2,263 of its bars, nightclubs and restaurants. As has been the case in other cities, not all Bostonians are happy about the change. Some say the smoking ban will reduce business for bar and restaurant owners affected by its implementation. Others complain that the ban restricts freedom to smoke in a social setting, such as a bar. Proponents of the ban maintain that it is a healthy, necessary improvement for bar and restaurant workers who are currently breathing harmful, second-hand smoke on a routine basis.

California was among the first places to ban smoking. A December 20, 1998 CNN.com article titled "Study: Bartenders' health better after California smoking ban" reported the results of a study of 53 bartenders conducted by the University of California-San Francisco that began just after the state established its total ban. Before the ban, the study claimed, 75 percent of its participants suffered from lung ailments. The article went on to cite that, after the law came into effect, negative symptoms of 60 percent of participants dropped away. Obviously, the ban improved bartenders' health. "

i'm very happy about this new ban. i really enjoyed the smoke free environment when i lived in boulder. and i'm sick of people waving cigarettes around and putting them out on me as i walk past. or coming home stinking.

my friend works in a bar though, and sees many people who just chill and smoke.

any opinions on this? smokers perspective?

Fuck all.

I think that when you go to a club or bar you should be able to smoke....what are they going to ban next in bars? drinking? I think the whole thing is stupid and people should just go out and have a good time regardless

I don't know, I'm an ex-smoker, but when I go to a bar or club I know what it's going to be like so let them smoke their tabs.

But yeah, when I go out to eat at a restaurant I'd prefer it if people didn't smoke.

What I hate is when I go to work on the train in the morning, and the moment everyone gets off all the smokers light up so your forced to make your way out the station in a cloud of stinking smoke.

I can't front though, I used to love having a cigarette with a drink, but I value the condition of my lungs more these days. I guess my liver and kidneys would appreciate it if I gave up the booze and the drugs, but that ain't going to happen.

Smoking in public places is just generally disrespectful to those who do not smoke within the vicinity of the smoker. I don't smoke...so I don't want to inhale smoke. But logic doesn't seem to be the issue with everyone...logic gets thrown out of the window when image and money come into the situation.

"I am awesome because smoke is going inside of my body and then coming out...which overall does nothing good to me."

"My company is making tons of money off these people who like putting smoke in their body and letting it come back out...its great."

"We are the government. We make money off of things that harm humans. We are powered by popular and academically smart trashbags as opposed to intellectual entities with a firm grasp of logic and common sense."

nazi white trash garbage.

Why are you so bitter Kr430n5_666?

I'm all for it. Cigarrettes are fucking gross. I'm glad I live in California.

what is stupid about all that bullshit is that 2nd hand smoke won't effect you in the least bit. you have to have been living around it your entire life for it to have any type of serious effect on you health. well, according to twenty/twenty.

god bless texas. you can smoke inside places if they have a 'smoking section.'

pussies... oh no! i can't stand the smell... bitch! go to a non smoking club. thats like me being a vegitarian straight edge pussy complaining about everyone else eating meat in a steak house...

" it effects me emotionally "

They tried it here a few years ago only to have it backfire.

Currently in my City places either get a 'bar' or 'restaurant' rating.

You can smoke in 'bars' but not in 'restaurants'. Here's the catch:

You have to be 19 to be in one of these 'bars'. So a lot of restaurants

had to decide between being able to have family dinners or a smoking

section. Obviously the big chain restaurants went non-smoking, but a

bunch of the smaller ones went bust becasue the by-law split their

day / night clients. You can only cater to one of them now.

I'll be happy when I quit again.

The vegans and meat eaters vs smokers and non smokers was not a very good comparison.

Unlike cigarrette smoke that you can smell, being in the same room with meat eaters don't affect vegans in any way. Vegans may think eating meat is gross, but nobody is forcing them to taste it.

i dont think it will every really fly in a bar club situation, personally im for it, but i dont think it would work im not goin to bitch and moan about it, when i go out i just expect to be in a smoke ridden atmosphere, the only thing i hate besides that its pretty disgusting is having to wash all my fucking clothes cause of the smell attachment.

i recently went to a bar (two non smokers and five smokers) it was smoke free, you had to go outside, the smokers bitched cause well there lazy...but it actually went smoothly, the ten step walk to the door to light up really wasnt as bad as they dreaded and i was completely enjoying not being in a cloud of smoke.

I don't really smoke, but I have issues with anyone telling me what I can or can't do.

I'm for it, cause I can't stand cigarettes, but it sucks that I won't be able to enjoy an occasional cigar, which I love. I usually withhold from smoking at bars cause I'm very self-conscious of all the smoke bothering others, but if the place has an open deck, it's on.

i think this is excellent, i do not go to bars or clubs...but i still think it is a wise move. it probably wont work due to hookerfaces though. i don't get cigarettes anyway, they are one of the most ridiculous things ever created. i am not sure why someone would constantly pay to inhale cancer in stick form and become addicted, so then they're awesome cool and can things like "i need a fucking cigarette!" or "ahhhhh shiet let me bum a cig bro! yea spring break! show me your boobs!" people dont think much anymore, do they?

forcing a bunch of drunks outside is a mistake

in my city...the cops and lawmakers realize this

its probably just where i live, but there are strict laws about loitering outside of clubs and bars..

why?

people frequently get killed in melees outside of these bars and clubs

yes...frequently

crowd control dictates that people should be contained somewhere

i guess this all works fine in places like boulder, boston, and california, but no fuckin way will you catch a bunch of morons chillin outside a bar smoking where i'm from..

if you do, they are very likely involved in some illicit activities (especially if you listen to the cops tell it)

another thing is that people go to clubs and bars to socialize.

putting them outside ostracizes them..and defeats the purpose of going out to be social

in a perfect world, no one would smoke..

but seriously, anyone who's complaining should hang out in europe for a while

they don;t give a flying fuck where you smoke or drink

and they seem to be doing fine

i never heard of any increased incidence of cancer in places where smoking was more prevelant..

anyway, yeah, if your city is safe.

by all means

go out and smoke on the street so your damn pollution don't bother me

i don't think that this legislation means that smokers are going to have to go outside and then come back in either. a bar owner i don't think is going to allow house party type behaviour, ie going out and coming back into a bar or club since most places you have to pay a cover charge, and letting people back in would definitely cause some lost revenue in addition to the potential outdoor activities. in boulder they made "smoking rooms" like in the airport that are enclosed in glass. eveyone is going to have to pay for this initiative though. if bar/club owners have to make special provisions, cover charges will be implemented or raised to cover the costs of smoking facilites, and then never lowered. they'll probably convert VIP areas to smoking areas or something. but in bars where there is no such area it makes it much more difficult, and the bar will probable loose alot of clientele. they could add an outside area within the bar confines if possible but a lot of bars don't have that option either since space is limited and expensive (and most of the time very cold)

i love the idea of a smoke free enviro, but getting there will be painful especially in places with limited space and a cold weather climate that is non-deck conducive such as boston.

well i guess we're going to find out, and best believe i'll be testing it out even if it is shortlived.

Originally posted by Kilo7-

They tried it here a few years ago only to have it backfire.

Currently in my City places either get a 'bar' or 'restaurant' rating.

You can smoke in 'bars' but not in 'restaurants'. Here's the catch:

You have to be 19 to be in one of these 'bars'. So a lot of restaurants

had to decide between being able to have family dinners or a smoking

section. Obviously the big chain restaurants went non-smoking, but a

bunch of the smaller ones went bust becasue the by-law split their

day / night clients. You can only cater to one of them now.

we've got smoking rooms..

i am a smoker. i think its disgusting. but coming from a place that just had a 7 month winter, there's no way in hell i'm going outside for a smoke on january 18th.

they did try it here, but the amount of money brought in by smoking customers outweighed the health issue. businesses lost huge amounts of money when smokers stopped going out. businesses decided to fuck the regulations and let people smoke anyway. and it didn't help the cities case when all they had were 8 inspectors to try and regulate 1000's of establishments.

i'm all for non smoking restauants.. i generally choose the nonsmoking section for a meal, but in a bar?

the more you drink, the more you smoke and vice versa which equals $$$$.

They should make it optional for bars, and should advertise accordingly.

"Our Bar is a smoking bar, Wait staff NOT offended by smoking need only apply"... quite simple and quite logical.

Smoking is a choice, so allowing people to smoke in your bar should be a choice as well, just like choosing which bar to go to on any given night.

If I can't have a smoke with a nice cold pint after a long day at work, i'd rather be under a bridge, on the tracks, with a full cooler bought from the beer store... and i know many people like this. which means goodbye to 10's of thousands of dollars per year to bar owners from me and my friends alone.

And yeah, they should be trying to cut down on the toxic shit coming out of the millions of cars everyday, rather than some smoking shit. A lot more people are at risk because of car exhaust than cigarrettes.

it was a weak comparison, but still...

i could argue that they have to put up with the smell of cooked meat, or the sight of others eating poor little dead animals... or even the smell of butter being heated up...

shit, some people's perfume makes me sick, sometimes makes me want to vomit... that effects my health.

kinda like what steve austin said though... i just don't want laws passed telling me where i can't and can smoke. if the owner of a bar/club/restraunt doesn't want smoking in thier buis. it should be left up to them.

in the words of john stossel (i'm sure thats not how you spell his last name)...

Give me a break...

im not too fond of smoke....and i have alot of friends who smoke...not too big a deal i guess....i think the whole smoking patio thing is a good idea....smoking at the club is fine....just not in the building....

who wants to smell tar when youre

trying to enjoy a nice plate of

huevos rancheros? Or if youre

trying to enjoy a meal with your

kids? or lil bro and lil sis? Its not

cool. Take it outside. I dont mind when

people tell me to take my chronic

smoke outside, its common courtesy!

my 2 cents

fuck it.

Originally posted by bigpoppa.k

i'm all for non smoking restauants.. i generally choose the nonsmoking section for a meal, but in a bar?

the more you drink, the more you smoke and vice versa which equals $$$$.

ask anyone in the bar service industry : smokers are better tippers.

Originally posted by ubejinxed

i don't think that this legislation means that smokers are going to have to go outside and then come back in either. a bar owner i don't think is going to allow house party type behaviour, ie going out and coming back into a bar or club since most places you have to pay a cover charge, and letting people back in would definitely cause some lost revenue in addition to the potential outdoor activities. in boulder they made "smoking rooms" like in the airport that are enclosed in glass.

hey, i like the smoking rooms..

in my town, if you have a liquor license, you can have a smoking section or allow it at the bar, and pretty much all places do

if you dont have a liquor license, yuou need a special room..

i like this idea..

ube, check out SF..

fucking ridiculous...

crammed with exactly the type of behavior you speak of..people coming in and out all night, hanging out outside with drinks..stoooopid

and the places with a cover?? forget it

we either smoked even though we "couldn't "

or we didnt go into those establishments

some places lost business..

because YES, it was exactly the stupid house party behavior you described. exactly.

WHAT THE FUCK ARE THEY BANNING SMOKING FOR IN BARS THAT IS SO GAY AND RESTURANTS TOO THERE IS A SMOKING PLACE WHAT THE FUCK IF U DONT WANNA BE EXPOSED TO SMOKING BUY SOME BEER OR DONT INTO THE SMOKING ROOM U FUCKING DUMB ASS

i'm not sure the specifics on the law, and whether it bans all smoking in bars/clubs/restaurants or just bans open air smoking. my guess is that it'll be all smoking which would nix my fishbowl smoking idea which would probably be the ideal for all parties involved even though it would be more expensive.

maybe ban all smoking except in those places that could construct the fishbowl smoking rooms, thereby providing incentive for the bars that want to offer respite for the smoking class and potential increase revenues.

i guess i'll have to see how it's carried out. but i agree !@#$% having people in and out is not a solution, it's no way to create a "social" enviro that is easily monitored, quieter or cost effective. who's responsibility would it be to patrol underage drinking (not like i care) or altercations outside the bar, since it's not in the bar, whose to say who would deal with it? probably put even more strain on the already beefy night cops.

ok i'm just thinking outload again.

Originally posted by currption

A SMOKING PLACE

 

DONT WANNA BE EXPOSED TO SMOKING BUY SOME BEER OR DONT INTO THE SMOKING ROOM

in boston there are no smoking rooms, there are only smoking areas in restaurants that allow the smoke to permeate through the whole establishment. and bars and clubs there are no restrictions at all so if u go out, you are essentially smoking with all the second hand smoke.

last weekend, someone put a hole through my shirt to my skin with his cigarette by accident. i was not pleased.

I was having dinner in my local bar/restaurant

with the roomate last week and these two guys

sat down next to us (in the non-smoking section)

and lit up big fat cigars. I know that at night the lines

blur a little bit about where you can and can't smoke,

but this was dinner time.

So I said 'Hey guys... non-smoking section'.

They both kind of blow it off like I was joking.

I mean its one thing to light up a smoke, but

to light 2 cheap and stinky cigars... expect me to raise my voice.

cigars are so stinky

i used to be a bartender in a cigar bar

i had to look good for the job but when i went home i smelled straight foul

I love cigars.

They're great on the deck or the patio or near the bbq,

but not in closed spaces where people are trying to eat.

I mean at least ask your neighbours. But judging from

how these guys were smoking them, I'd say they bought

them for show.