Paying the price for smoking bans

It's been since August of 2000 in Moose Lake, a year and a half in Cloquet and just under a year in Duluth since the ban on smoking in restaurants was imposed on these three cities. What has happened since?

With all three ordinances, although differing somewhat in their nature and language, the ordinances all carry penalties both for businesses and individuals that "lite up". Through Tuesday of this week, law enforcement officials from all three of the before mentioned cities have reported that not one single citation has been issued within their jurisdiction for violations of their city's smoking ban ordinances.

A spokeswoman from the Duluth office of the American Lung Association said she was not surprised that no citations were issued. "People know that it is the law and enforcement is not needed because people will and have complied."

Perhaps the biggest effect has been on those businesses that must abide by the ordinances. While the Duluth Chamber of Commerce could offer no statistics or opinion on how it has effected its members, in Cloquet the reaction to the ordinance has been two fold.

According to the Cloquet Chamber of Commerce several restaurants have felt the pinch of the smoking ban. Perkins Restaurant declared a 26% percent per day reduction in business since the ban was imposed. Perkins also reduced its hours of operation from 24 hours per day to closing at 10 p.m., this also meant a reduction of its workforce of formerly 50 plus persons.

Grandma's Restaurant in Cloquet noted a 33% reduction in sales in its bar area as patrons were no longer to smoke, eat in that portion of their operation.

Carmen's Restaurant on Big Lake road has also seen a drastic decline in business, to the point that owner has considered selling her operation. Country Kitchen in Cloquet has also noticed a downturn in business and has trimmed its staff through attrition.

Director of the Cloquet Chamber, Della Schmidt, explained that she was not surprised about lack of citations for violations. She stated that the way the Cloquet ordinance is written, the hefty fines on businesses if they allow violations has made it prohibitable to even take a chance on allowing smoking.

Schmidt also explained, that unlike in Moose Lake and Duluth, Cloquet already had nearly half of its eating places in a smoke free mode so the options were open to patrons before the smoking ban. She also noted the increased business numbers in those eating establishments located just around Cloquet, but that are not effected by the ban, such as the new Wood City restaurant in Scanlon.

The smoking ban in Cloquet has also brought on a political challenge for the upcoming November elections. Five persons filed for mayor of Cloquet this past summer, that being pared down to just two candidates in the primary. However, challengers to incumbents in both the mayoral and city council races in Cloquet have made it clear that one of their campaign issues is the smoking ban ordinance and the possibility of reconsideration if they were to gain office.

Moose Lake, however, after two years and three months of the smoking ban, show little effect at this later date. While restaurants within the city limits have not shown any drastic decreases in business, eating establishments just outside the city limits, like Gampers, have shown a large increase in especially their lunch patronage.

With the region, state and national coverage that Moose Lake gained by becoming the first city to ban smoking in eating establishments, there seems to be a case of the city's "15 minutes of fame." Gone are the billboards touting the smoke-free town, gone also are the congratulations advertisements for being in the first to step forward, gone are the accolades.

To date only Cloquet, Moose Lake, Duluth and Olmsted County (Rochester) have smoking ordinances in place. Eden Praire enacted a smoking ordinance last week, but it only pertains to government buildings and public parks.

Several Minnesota cities and counties have rejected smoking ordinances such as: Faribault, Grand Rapids, Hutchinson, Little Falls, Mankato, Maple Grove, New Prague, St. Cloud, Shakopee, Thief River Falls and Wanamingo. In all 26 cities or Counties in Minnesota have either rejected smoking bans or adopted resolutions urging the State Legislature to consider a uniform State Law.

Oh yes. "THEY" say smoking bans are SO GOOD FOR BUSINESS MY ASS!

NUTSHELL TAVERN, Rte 1, Biddeford, Maine closes its doors due to smoking bans.

Press Herald News, January 6, 2000 * MINGLES COFFEE SHOP, Kitchener, closes after non-smoking bylaw passed--45% drop in business Kitchener-Waterloo Record, July 31, 2000

* TWELVE RESTAURANTS CLOSE in Brookline, MA , after smoking ban decimates business Lowell Sun, March 28, 2001

* In British Columbia, 200 WORKERS in 46 establishments have lost their jobs because of the smoking ban National Post, March 3, 2000

* Hotelier Don Ritaller, Victoria, fired his entire staff of 12.

* J. P. MALONE'S PUB in Richmond, l aid off eight of its 20 employees.

* CLYDE'S RESTAURANT GROUP, one of the most popular and successful restaurants chains in the Washington DC area since 1963, suffered a staggering loss of sales after smoking was banned.

* A survey of 300 alcoholic beverage serving operations in California, selected at random from a list of 7,216 shows that 60% experienced a decrease in business averaging more than 30%; 7% showed increased business averaging 8%. Guest Choice Network + 50.4% of the respondents indicated an increase in customer complaints/fights; + 65.0% indicated a loss of regular customers; + 59.0% indicated a loss of tips/gratuities for the bar and/or serving staff.

* THE DULUTH GRILL has closed after 16 years due to the smoking ban Duluth News

* 130 TOBACCONISTS in California have been forced to close since the 1998 smoking bans and punitive tax increases SF Gate, July 1, 2001.

* Thousands of employees have had their hours cut, and hundreds have lost their jobs because of the loss of the smoking customers who form a majority of their customer base.

" Dread, pink slips greet smoking ban ," Globe and Mail, December 29, 2000

* A recent study from British Columbia pointed out major economic and job losses after a provincial smoking ban took effect in January: After 80 days of the bylaw, 730 EMPLOYEES were let go , 9 BUSINESSES CLOSED and more than $16 MILLION was lost . The Ottawa Citizen Online, August 27, 2001

* Letter from a waitress in BC: " My livelihood is being jeopardized for my own protection, and I never asked to be saved ."

* A hotel-industry study released this week shows that San Francisco's hotel-occupancy rates have shrunk to 1994 levels. City hotels are operating at 74% capacity. Rooms priced at more than $160 are about 69% full. While those numbers aren't disastrous, they are a far cry from the stuffed hostelries we've been used to the last few years. San Francisco Examiner, April 19, 2001

* TWO MORE RESTAURANTS have closed in Weymouth, MA : J.C. Grear's in South Weymouth and the Aloha in Hingham. A fourth restaurant said business is way off. Weymouth News

* Corvallis, OR: Employment at the Peacock has dropped from 50 to 14. Owner John Carter says the business has lost 38 percent of its lottery income and more than half of its basic bar revenue since the law took effect State records support Carter's lament about lost business. The Register-Guard, September 24, 2000

* Clergymen complain that 40 BINGO HALLS have closed because of the smoking ban . These halls supported local charities. Sun-News, February 7, 2001

* BUD'S PLACE in Cambridge and said his sales have fallen 23 per cent since the smoking ban was implemented. His staff has shrunk to 12 from 17 and a full-time employee he's had on staff for 10 years has been cut back to three shifts a week " Restaurateurs rebel against smoking bans " The New-Standard, December 10, 2000.

* Wareham rescinds smoking ban when restaurant owners prove business decreased 25-40%. "We knew it would hurt," Board of Health Chairman Ralph R. Thompson said of the board's decision to implement the ban, adding that he and his fellow board members weren't aware of just how devastating the ban's impact would prove to be on area businesses. Representatives from Wareham's Elks club said the ban had cut the attendance at their weekly bingo nights in half, crippling their ability to raise funds for scholarships and other civic endeavors . Standard-Times, 12/20/2000

Last Spring (just in time for tourist season), the same three anti-smoker members of Wareham's Board of Health put the smoking ban back in place. Wareham is now smoker UNfriendly and restaurants, bars, and clubs and organizations are suffering. :-(

* In Washington State a smoking ban at the Spokane Interstate Fair went down in flames Monday after attendance dropped by roughly 22% (despite perfect weather) and county commissioners were deluged with calls and letters of protest. "Fair policy up in smoke," Dan Hansen, Spokesman-Review, 9/14/99

* Susan Barnes of the WATERWORKS RESTAURANT in Rockland ( Maine ) said she has lost more than $8,000 a month in liquor sales to other establishments since the restaurant smoking ban went into effect. Bangor Daily News, February 5, 2000.

* Peter Martin, owner of John Martin's MANOR RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE in Waterville, said he proclaimed all Sundays in January to be no-smoking. Food and beverage sales dropped 25 percent and off-track betting revenue dropped 30 percent , he said Bangor Daily News , February 5, 2000.

* ''On Saturday night, we had a band, two bartenders, two waitresses, a doorman, a floor man, and we grossed $33,'' said Dorsey Carey, manager of HANDLEBAR HARRY'S bar/restaurant in Cordage Park, after smoking was banned.. Boston Globe Online, September 9, 2001

* Owner of the CHATEAU LAFAYETTE, Jill Scott, said: "People can't say this isn't hurting us. I've closed down my kitchen and cut five shifts . I don't know where people are going, but they aren't here." Ottawa Sun, Tuesday, October 2, 2001

* After smoking bans were implemented, the number of Buffalo BINGO ESTABLISHMENTS dropped by about 20 percent, while city bingo fee revenues declined by 36 percent, according to officials. The Buffalo News, By BRIAN MEYER, News Staff Reporter, 7/24/01.

* Mesa, AZ, banned most restaurant smoking in 1996. THE MARQUEE, the ZUR-KATE and ARIZONA JACK'S are the exceptions. They demonstrated that they lost so much business as a result of the ban that they were allowed to permit smoking. The Washington Post, Monday, February 19, 2001; Page A03 .

* The most recent Gallup poll on smoking, November 13-15, shows that even in the current climate more than half of Americans, 53%, still want to allow smoking sections in restaurants; a solid majority still favors the preservation of smoking areas in the workplace, 63%, as well as in hotels and motels, 72%. "...it really comes down to whether or not we have a right to tell private business owners what they can do in their own business." Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, The Cabin, September 6, 2001

Smoking Bans Devastating To Businesses

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