Restaurant Related News

The New York Post Opinions

Source: Excerpted from New York Post
Published: April 30, 2002

I am sick of these people who feel that making more places smoke-free will hurt business ("Just Say No to Smoking Ban: Business Has Suffered Plenty," Letters, April 27). As a singer in the cabaret community and someone who once waited tables, I remember when club owners said business would go down when the clubs became smoke-free. They were wrong. Business increased, and it was a better environment for both the performer and the audience.
Richard Skipper
Nyack

Now that Councilman James Oddo wants to rid New York of smoking because of its high risk of lung cancer, let's also prohibit restaurants from serving any menu items with saturated fats, caffeine, salt and sugar. All of these ingredients have been scientifically proven to induce heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Obviously, this sounds ridiculous, but so is the government telling restaurants how to run their businesses concerning legal substances. Educated consumers and restaurant owners should be allowed to make their decisions without government officials intervening.
Michael Patracuolla
Bloomfield, N.J.

Though I realize it's inconvenient for smokers to have limited public access to light up, they must realize that this is not personal. These bans were established to protect the public's health. The proposed ban does not tell someone that he cannot smoke; rather that he cannot endanger the health of someone who shares public space with him.

Smokers would not accept their lives being put in jeopardy by a drunk driver, so please understand that non-smokers have the right to go out in public without having to fear the dangerous weapon of someone else's cigarette smoke.
Leslie Widman
Wilton, Conn.