Should Restaurant Goers Be Divided By Smoking In Public?

Restaurant goers make decisions that effect their overall satisfaction in an establishment every time they go out. They have to decide if they want their steak cooked medium-well or rare, if they want a Budweiser or a Bud-light, and if they want to start a tab or pay in cash. So what do all these decisions have in common? They have the freedom to choose what they want. So, why is it that we don't have a choice when the decision is whether or not we can smoke in public? You may think this seems like a complaint on the behalf of customers who smokes. But, in fact, it is the complaint of a non-smoker. Non-smokers have no choice in whether they are surrounded by people who smoke or not when they are at a bar or restaurant. Other customers, who
A tavern owner of 27 year said he had to close down his business after the state passed a smoking legislation to ban smoking in all places in California. (Gunn 13) But can these losses really be linked to the smoking bans? At the time of both of these incidents stated above, the economy was on a decline and the Blood Alcohol Content level (BAC) for drunk drivers was also reduced from 1 to .08. These are just two of the many factors that need to be concerned in order to present a more definite solution to the question of why business lost so much profit at this particular time. I believe if the government would play a bigger role in putting the smoking bans into effect few businesses would link lost profit to the effect of smoking bans. The Health and Safety Commission regulates the safety of food and drugs why not regulate the clean air in Bars and restaurants? If there was a total smoking ban regulated by the government, there would be no reason for profit loss because smokers would not pick and choose which bar to go to because all bars and restaurants would all have a smoking ban. Hospitality studies have shown that there is a slight decline in sales at the beginning when a smoking ban has just been enacted, but they tend to level off and even rise back to normal standards later on. When California enacted the nation's first state wide smoking ban in 1998, many smokers and owners
Just recently the prime minister of Britain, Tony Blair, issued the first ever chain of smoke free restaurants. (Bennett 2) Guests and employees have found it quite refreshing to not have to endure the stench of smoke from previous guests. Across the way, in Ireland, locals have grown accustomed to the nation wide smoking ban. When Ireland became the first nation in the world to ban smoking it had the locals fuming about the new law. (Gunn 13) Having a cigarette, while drinking in their favorite local pub, is part of Ireland's culture; more so than Americans, to say the least. So you can understand why the Irish went hysterical when the smoking ban was enacted. Unlike a warm tropical climate like Miami, Florida, Ireland has a freezing cold climate subject to rain and snow all the time, which makes it difficult for customers to go outside and have a smoke. So why would such a country with a history and culture of smoking and drinking enact a smoking ban? Because local officials were concerned with the major health issues that the Irish people were facing due to the excessive smoking such as lung cancer and emphysema. Government officials are not taking this ban lightly either. If caught and charged with smoking inside a bar or tavern, the defendant could face up to a $3,500 fine and having their picture publicly