Where there’s smoke…
There’s more political goings-on related to the smoking ban in Hennepin County. The People’s Republic of Radio reports this story:
The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners will hear testimony Tuesday about the future of the county’s smoking ban ordinance. The board is considering relaxing its total ban on smoking in bars and restaurants to allow smoking in bars and private clubs. Some members of the hospitality industry say they favor a law that allows these exemptions. They say the county’s current law has created an uneven playing field for business. However, some say if this new proposal passes it will make it harder for legislators to agree on a statewide ban.
The idea behind the Hennepin County ban is that they thought the rest of the state would follow them. Then St. Paul enacted a compromise (some say half-measure) solution of allowing smoking in bars and clubs where more liquor than food was sold. Long story short: no statewide smoking ban.
We’ve seen Bloomington businesses suffer because their smoking ban, which matches Minneapolis’, wasn’t picked up by neighboring cities and counties, so people who wanted to smoke just took their business a few blocks away. Now that the mayor of St. Paul who passed their smoking ban has been voted out, so it should be interesting to see what happens.
So, what do you think the future of the smoking ban will be?
Related posts:
“…We’ve seen Bloomington businesses suffer because their smoking ban.”
Really? Name ‘em, please. Don’t bother with the MOA businesses that all had the same bankrupt out-of-state owner.
Read today’s Star Tribune profile (page B3) on Pat Reichert, a Bloomington resident who has personally suffered from smoking.
I don’t keep a list of all the businesses that have closed due to the smoking ban. It’s interesting that there’s very little reported about it in the local media.
One business I can think of is the Bingo Hall that closed down when their attendance plummeted after the ban went into effect. I have an anecdotal report from a regular at the Park Tavern that it went belly-up post-ban, as well.
Pat Reichert suffered from smoking because she chose to smoke for most of her life. How is that relevant, here?
I am not saying I like smoking, or think that people should smoke everywhere, so don’t try to put words in my mouth.
I think it’s gonna take a while, but the smoking ban is here to stay and eventually it will be statewide.
I’m imagining a bunch of smoking clubs. They’d need special licensing to operate as such. They’d be clearly marked/branded/marketed/labeled/whatever as a place to smoke. Kind of like a cigar bar, maybe? So all those people that just NEED to sit around and do nothing but smoke and drink have a place to go. And everyone else who wants to go out and socialize as usual can do so smoke-free.
I’m not explaining it very well. I guess this is how it would be if there were no smoking ban, but individual businesses decided to declare themselves smoke-free. But my point is for the usual casual social experience, places ought to be smoke-free. An establishment that wants to allow smoking would be a specialized place.
Hmmmm…Bloomington restaurants have GAINED my business since the smoking ban went into effect. There’s no sense in me going to a smoke filled restaurant in Burnsville, Apple Valley, or Eagan, when I can drive an extra few miles to go to a smoke-free place in Bloomington.
well, personally I think the smoking ban is messed up. Regardless of whether businesses are making or losing money, this is well beyond what I think are acceptable mandates that gov’t should be placing on day to day operations of private *private* establishments.
I quit smoking many moons ago and sometimes it got a little irritating to go someplace that was super-smoky. But get over it, for crying out loud. We have a gazillion other things that I’d love to have take priority over something like this.
Drunk people piss me off. Let outlaw the sale of booze in bars and restaurants. We’re all okay with that, right?
This right here sums up my general feeling on the eventual outcome:
“Let me remind you that not only is Ireland the most alcoholic country on the planet, but it
this is well beyond what I think are acceptable mandates that gov’t should be placing on day to day operations of private /i>*private* establishments.
Thank you. Exactly.
That’s hilarious! :^)
For whatever reason we seem to have plenty of people hellbent on prohibiting things they find a little irritating. meh. If they don’t have anything else to do, go nuts.
check out craig westover’s blog. he has data from the California dept of health that shows you need to breathe second hand smoke for 21 years to even “increase” your cancer risk above that of a person in a smoke free environement.
i don’t have the url. just serach google’s blog search for smoking ban hennepin craig westover.
It’s not from the CA Dept. of Health, nor is it from the “CA EPA,” as Westover calls it. It is from the CA Air Resources Board, a nonmedical advisory group based in Sacramento. Wanta clear the air? Read Westover, than see the ALAMN blog.
’nuff said..