Bars

Smoke-Free Bars FAQs

• What is secondhand smoke?
• I know smoking is dangerous, but how can simply being near a smoker be dangerous?
• Bars are by definition adult establishments. If they patrons don't like smoking, can't they just leave? Business owners should be able to tailor their business for their customers.
• There are ventilation systems designed to remove the smoke from the air. Why can't bars use those?
• Smoking bans hurt business. Isn't it true that a smoking ban could cause bars to close their doors?
• Last time I checked, smoking is a legal activity. Why should smokers be banned from bars?
• I understand that some people don't like the smell of smoke, but as a business, I don’t see how losing customers can be beneficial.

What is secondhand smoke?

Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke coming off the tip of the cigarette or cigar and the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. Because some of this smoke is released into the air prior to being burned and filtered, many of the toxins found in secondhand smoke are found in higher rates than the toxins the smoker inhales.

I know smoking is dangerous, but how can simply being near a smoker be dangerous?

Secondhand smoke kills more than 50,000 non-smokers in the United States every year. Studies have shown that secondhand smoke is a cause of:

• Lung cancer
• Other cancers - laryngeal, esophageal, bladder, mouth cancer, etc.
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Lung disease - such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema

Pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke (at home or AT WORK) are at increased risk for having a baby that is born prematurely, at low birth-weight, with deformities and disabilities. Additionally, these babies are at a greater risk of dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), or suffering from other problems like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Bars are by definition adult establishments. If they patrons don't like smoking, can't they just leave? Business owners should be able to tailor their business for their customers.

Good secondhand smoke legislation is not about individual rights or the rights of property owners and businesses. Secondhand smoke legislation stems from the fact that all employees deserve protection from hazardous working conditions.
 
Did you know that a bar workers' exposure to secondhand smoke is 4 to 6 times higher than other workers' exposure. People working in bars regularly inhale the equivalent of nearly a pack of cigarettes every shift. Food service workers (waiters, waitresses, cooks, bartenders, and counter help) have been shown have a 50 percent higher risk of dying from lung cancer than the general population. Recent studies have even shown an increased risk of breast cancer in young waitresses who work jobs where they're exposed to secondhand smoke. While customers can vote with their wallets, the people that serve drinks to those customers shouldn't have to put their health at risk to earn a paycheck.

There are ventilation systems designed to remove the smoke from the air. Why can't bars use those?

While ventilation might make the air smell better, it cannot remove the toxins that are so dangerous to people's health. A recent study headed by James Repace examined contaminant levels in restaurants utilizing state of the art ventilation systems remove smoky air. The study found that these systems don't eliminate the soot and carcinogens and can even displace them, making the levels in the non-smoking section higher than levels in the smoking section. According to Repace, "“This study proves that dining in a restaurant or bar’s non-smoking section does not significantly reduce exposure to smoke-related pollutants, even in those few establishments that use these sophisticated, expensive ventilation systems."
 
The official position of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) states that adverse health effects for the occupants of smoking areas cannot be controlled by ventilation. Additionally, ASHRAE's president, Terry Townsend has said, "ASHRAE's position is that the only way to effectively eliminate health risk associated with indoor exposure is to ban smoking activity."
 
This is the same conclusion reached by the 2006 US Surgeon General's Report on Secondhand Smoke, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. This report found that:

• There is NO risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure, with even brief exposure adversely affecting the cardiovascular and respiratory system.
• Only smoke-free environments effectively protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure in indoor spaces. The simple separation of smokers and nonsmokers within the same air space may reduce, but does not eliminate, secondhand smoke exposure among nonsmokers… even sophisticated ventilation approaches cannot completely remove secondhand smoke from an indoor space. Because there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure, anything less cannot ensure that nonsmokers are fully protected from the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Smoking bans hurt business. Isn't it true that a smoking ban could cause bars to close their doors?

When smoking bans are brought before legislative bodies, the first rumors to begin flying have to do with loss of business. After smoking bans pass, anecdotal stories are trotted out to “prove” that the smoking ban has devastated business. However, to date, no reputable study on the economic impacts of smoking bans has shown that they cause economic harm.
 
Studies from El Paso, Lexington, New York City, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and California (for example) have all shown steady or increased bar revenues after the implementation of smoking bans. That is not to say that individual business owners never see a decline in business. Luckily, these declines are typically short-lived. The businesses most successful at navigating new smoking laws tend to be the businesses that get on board early and try to work within the new law.
 
While smoking rates vary in different parts of the country, the majority if the public is non-smoking (around 80 percent), and surveys show that the majority of the public prefer non-smoking restaurants and bars (for example, see Zagat, 2005).

Last time I checked, smoking is a legal activity. Why should smokers be banned from bars?

Smoking bans do not ban smokers from businesses. They do, however, ban the activity of smoking inside businesses. There are many laws that limit the rights of individuals to perform a certain activity if it is deemed to be unhealthy for other members of the population. Customers are not allowed to drive their vehicles if they have consumed too much alcohol. This is not to penalize people drinking alcohol, but to protect other drivers on the road from being killed by intoxicated drivers.

Cigarette smoke cannot be contained to the smoker's breathing space. It is estimated that 50,000 non-smokers in the US die every year as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke - more than die from murder, AIDS, and drugs combined. That is why cities, counties, states, and entire countries are deciding that the legal activity of smoking must be done outside of the presence of other customers and employees.

I understand that some people don't like the smell of smoke, but as a business, I don’t see how losing customers can be beneficial.

Smoking bans benefit business in many ways. The first and most important impact smoking bans have are that harmful contaminants are eliminated from business, and employees report feeling healthier. They are sick less often and cost less to insure.
 
There are other substantial costs savings for businesses that go smoke-free. Cleaning and maintenance costs decrease (cleaning furniture, drapes, removing smoke odor and repainting). There is no need for costly ventilation equipment. Smoke free businesses can often save money on fire insurance.
 
Additionally, the majority of the public says, in survey after survey, that they prefer to eat and drink in smoke-free venues. Usually any initial drop-off in business caused by smoking bans will vanish as new non-smoking customers begin to frequent establishments they used to avoid. Additionally, old customers who disappear because of smoking bans often come back. People didn't stop flying or going to the movies when those workplaces went smoke-free.