Posted on 07/15/2006 7:30:05 AM PDT by SheLion
The Pennsylvania Restaurant Association has thrown its support behind a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants, bars, casinos and private clubs.
So why couldn't we find any local establishments who agree with them?
Admittedly, we used a small sample, but when staff writer Jeff Pikulsky talked to owners of Mon Valley clubs and restaurants last week, he found angry opposition to the proposed ban.
Monessen Elks Club Steward Marcy Zites estimated that 70 percent of her club patrons smoke and feared that a ban would be bad for business.
Those sentiments were echoed at the Foster House in North Belle Vernon, where bartender Lisa Vestrat said customers have been complaining about the possibility of a ban.
At the High Point restaurant in Coal Center, Loretta Sepesy lamented, "People like to have a drink and cigarette. They take away all of your rights anymore."
The proposal to ban smoking in public places was introduced by Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, a Republican from Montgomery, and is currently being considered by the Senate's Public Health & Welfare Committee. Similar legislation in the House died in committee last month.
The ban is being offered out of concern for the health and welfare of employees who work in those facilities and are exposed to second-hand smoke. A recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General brands second-hand smoke as a health risk and recommends that it be banned from public gathering places.
We understand the concern of the state's Restaurant Association and its desire to be on the politically correct side of the smoking argument. But we think the organization should have contacted more of its members to see if they feel the same way.
It's our position that in a free society, this decision should be up to the individual restaurants, not the government. Restaurants who want to ban smoking should be welcome to do so, and customer response will determine if they are right or wrong.
"The sun does more damage to peoples' bodies than second-hand cigarette smoke," said Monessen Elks Club trustee Brian Mears. "What is the government going to do next, shut down the sun?
Shh, Brian, don't give them any ideas.
We have tried and tried and tried to tell them!
Lots of union, blue-collar Democrats in Pittsburgh. These are the guys who hang out at the tavern after work and enjoy a drink and a smoke. The people pushing these smoking bans are elitist snobs.
Employees who are concerned about alleged 2nd hand smoke effects shouldn't work at establishments where 2nd hand smoke would be a concern.
This solves the problem of the business owner who wants to disallow smoking but fears losing business because no other restaurant will (opt-in rather opt-out). Of course, this is also coming from a non-restaurant owner and a non-smoker.
I live here.....the whole state sucks...
You cant buy fireworks. You cant get a six pack at the 7-11. The state owns all the liquor stores that only recently are open on Sundays{ Not all of them however}.
They only allowed Beer stores to be open on Sundays at Noon til five.
This state is NO FUN.....
Why should I have to "apply for a waiver" so I can run MY business the way I want to?
Well, Maine did an all out smoking ban in January of 2003. Really sucks.
My favorite place to eat almost closed their doors after the first smoking ban in Maine in 2000.
The owner then invested in a very expensive liquor license to once again allow smoking and business started to boom again.
They then remodeled. The place is beautiful. 4 big ceiling air purifiers. Full menu. A beautiful glass enclosed non-smoking section. Sign on the entrance door "This is a smoking establishment. No one under 18 admitted without guardian."
It is a Sports Bar with the full computer golf game across the back wall; bunch of big TV's. Just beautiful.
But that still wasn't good enough for the state. A full no smoking ban went into effect a year ago January. I went once after the ban, was so miserable that I couldn't sit there like old times and enjoy the evening that I haven't put myself through that again.
And do you think the state will reimburse this business owner for spending his own money to be able to accommodate everyone? You can bet they will not.
To all you smokers who can still go into town or the city and go into a restaurant and/or bar or tavern.....order your meal and beverage and smoke, you better treasure every day that you can.
Maine went totally smoke free in 2003. That was my recreation: going out for meals a few times a month. It was wonderful. I didn't know how wonderful it was until we smokers in Maine lost that right.
So, take it from me! Enjoy the places that can continue to accommodate you and the ones who still have smoking sections!
I had this conversation with my 15 yr old daughter a week or so ago. Not about smoking .. but about how we have been put into a "The only way to change or correct something is through the ballot" conversation.
I know we here in FR can get cyberly hyper .. and we can demonstrate par excellance ... but the closest we came to the Tea Party was the ballot count in Florida.
We REALLY came close for Terry Schiavo.
When my children are more grown and independent ...
However, this should be left up to the business owner and his patrons. Not everyone thinks the way you do. It's thoughts like this that got the private businesses into this hell hole.
I knew that would come up, but how many other waivers do you have to apply for? You have to have a liquor license. If you sell food, you have to have a license for that too. You have to get your building inspected. If you do construction to renovate it before opening, expect to get a building permit. It's another piece of paperwork in a long line of it, but it's not something completely unheard of in society.
And besides, the key point is, after you get the waiver, you do get to run your business they way YOU want to, which is what's not often talked about with the smoking bans.
Exactly right. No one is holding a gun to their heads to work in a smoking establishment.
I remember one waitress complained to the boss about the smoking. And this was a BAR for crying out loud. Well, guess who hit the streets! That waitress! hehe! (Come to think of it, she might have been on the Maine committee to get even and force this ban!)
I quit May 11th .. had a real good scare .. but I smoked for 42 years .. the comeraderie .. the atmosphere .. it was all LIFE to me .. everything else was work,eat,sleep,work,eat,sleep .. except, of course for the 21 beautiful years with my wife.
Three letters: ADA.
Where were all you smokers 15 years ago?
hahaha
This solves the problem of the business owner who wants to disallow smoking but fears losing business because no other restaurant will (opt-in rather opt-out). Of course, this is also coming from a non-restaurant owner and a non-smoker.
That sounds fair. IF the government has to be involved at all.
THE REAL FACTS OF THE SMOKING BANS IMPACT ON BUSINESS'S
The Facts
LOL! Try living in Maine! Our lawmakers have let the power go to their heads, and that's no joke! They are supposed to work for us, yet they constantly are working against us. Makes me wonder just what they all try to dream up next when they are all behind their closed doors smoking AND drinking! I don't trust any of them anymore.
Bull! The others are not "waivers". I don't necessarily agree with all of them but I can see them for safety and health. I know you're going to say so is the ban. Wrong, the others are not something the general public can readily verify (building codes, food prep, etc). If you walk into a smoking establishment it is readily apparent. You then can immediately make a decision to stay or not. I would even go so far that they could say it has to be posted at the door (both smoking and smoke free). Anything else is fascism.
These socialists are not interested in facts, as we well know.
All they're interested in is control, and more taxes.
I've said it a million times, but I cannot stand these people anymore.
Common sense need not apply.
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