Applebee's will ban smoking

Tribune Chronicle ^ | 05/11/04 | Staff, wire reports

[MissTargets]

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Applebee's restaurants in Niles and Boardman will be among those in Ohio that will go nonsmoking after a decision by Thomas and King, the nation's 11th-largest restaurant operator, the company announced Monday.

The policy at the Niles restaurant will take effect Monday and be implemented at all stores by month's end, the company said. Robert Holmes, 83, of Warren said he'd like to see other restaurants follow Applebee's lead in the no-smoking policy.

''Second-hand smoke is known to be bad for people,'' Holmes said Monday at the Eastwood Mall. ''Smoking spoils my dinner.''

Holmes, a former tobacco user, said he has eaten at Applebee's in Niles several times.

Besides Ohio, the smoking ban also will take effect at the franchise company's Applebee's and Johnny Carino's restaurants in Kentucky, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Indiana locations, the company said. Franchises owned by other operators would not be affected.

Mike Scanlon, Thomas and King's chairman and chief executive officer and vice-mayor of Lexington, was a vocal supporter of the city's indoor smoking ban that went into effect April 27. Scanlon said the timing of the company's action was coincidental.

''I can see both sides of the issue,'' Scanlon said. ''However, as a businessman, I need to listen to my customers and do what I believe is right for my business.

''While this decision will inconvenience a small percentage of our customers, I am certain that our new policy will attract many new customers who are seeking a smoke-free dining experience,'' he added.

Some of Thomas and King's nearly 80 restaurants already are smoke-free, including those in cities with municipal smoking bans such as Lexington and Tucson, Ariz. Scanlon said three restaurants the company has opened in the last year - one each in Arizona, Ohio and Kentucky - are smoke-free by choice.

Six months ago, the company banned smoking for employees. Scanlon said two of the company's nearly 6,000 workers quit over the issue.

Applebee's, based in Overland Park, Kansas, operates about one-third of its locations with the rest run as franchises.

[Gabz]

Get off your high-horse and stop mixing apples and oranges. Your insulting and condesecending remarks negate any reason I may have had for replying to your commentary.

[metesky]

In Praise of Bad Habits

[Rebelbase]

Sorry, I'm not buying the line that because I question the health issues of smoking, somehow I am a liberal.

"Risk" being used as tool by liberals to manage social issues has nothing to do with common sense, weighted evidence of cause and effect.

I can be just as conservative as you and have a completely different opinion about the health issues related to smoking.

Don't ever approach me again with an underhanded insinuation that I'm liberal.

[metesky]

#1.) I never insinuated that you were liberal, I merely posted a link to an article deriding "healthism" that was written by a liberal. In fact the main gist of the link has nothing to do with smoking

#2.) This is an open forum and I'll comment and post as I wish within the guidelines.

[CSM]

"Okay, wise guy - now give me a list of all the restaurants that do not allow smoking. I know of none in Ohio."

Then you aren't very up to speed on the restaurants in Ohio. Toledo is smoke free in all "public places". Just look in the yellow pages for Toledo and you will have your list.

[CSM]

"I think this is great. Applebee's restraunts are the WORST designed restraunts for people that want to avoid smoke but still eat their food."

The Applebees in my area offer carry-out service, isn't that available at them in your area? You could very well have protected your wife by walking in and picking up the food and going home to eat it, better yet, you could have gone to a park were she would only be exposed to vehicle exhaust.

[CSM]

"We nonsmokers really appreciate the smokers avoiding the nonsmoking restaurants. They usually smell like an ashtray, and that can be just as annoying."

My what a sensitive olfactory you have there. Would you also recommend "smell" codes be implemented by restaurants and legislated by the government. I find a lot of perfumes annoying and I would prefer that they not allow heavy perfume wearers around me. I need the government force to make sure others smell good to my olfactory senses.....

[CSM]

"I can tell you that many of the patients would give anything to get a second chance at a smoke-free life."

What is the average age of the patients you interact with regularly? Would a stroke be a more humane or heroic way to die?

[RinaseaofDs]

Drinking is bad for people too. When are they going to announce the plan to go dry?

[Rebelbase]

"Would a stroke be a more humane or heroic way to die?"

I don't think that's so much the problem as it is non smokers picking up the insurance tab for smoking related illness..which is self inflicted.

Fat people are next on the list.

[CSM]

"However, smokers should not force the non-smoking population to pick up the costs associate with your habit. Shifting the cost of one's habit to others that do not engage in your habit should never be allowed."

You have it reversed. Smokers pay well over their share of the burden, in fact the MSA, Fed. taxes and State taxes bring in billions to the government. They are using that money to satisfy budget gaps and they have introduced legislation to further add to the smokers burden to cover costs for non smokers.

Therefore, when the non smoking population begins to cover their own costs, they can then begin to complain about the smell of smoke. Until then, they should be thanking every smoker they see for reduced taxes passed along to them.

[CSM]

"Smoking was out in Florida...All the smokers panicked, whined and cried. It is so nice now going into a eatery not having to gag on someone's smoke."

Glad to see that you are so supportive of the force of government dictating the use of private property. Were you also in support of all the eminate domain controversy down there?

[RinaseaofDs]

Have you ever worn aftershave? Ever eaten peanuts on a bus, train, or plane? Ever drink and drive? Ever drive tired? Ever drive sick? Ever change the stations while you drive, or answer your cellphone while driving?

For women, ever put makeup on in the car?

These are all indulgences that could make someone sick or dead. Why focus on smoking, just because it happens to bother you.

You don't have to inhale someone's habit at a smoking restaurant. Just sit in non-smoking, or eat somewhere else.

[CSM]

"So I was suppose to give up my job because another employee decides that I must inhale her smoke or leave that job? That really makes a lot of sense especially to selfish smokers who think they have more rights than the rest of us. That doesn't surprise me one little bit."

No you were allowed employment by an owner of a business that had the right to allow what legal activities he/she wanted to allow on their property. What makes you think your preferences trump the right of the property owner? Whay are you on a conservative board when you think your supposed convenience trumps the rights of the property owner?

[SheLion]

My best friend had a baby in 1984. Her mother was the head of Pediatrics at a local hospital. She got on her daughter about smoking every moment of her pregnancy. The boy ended up with Asthma. The mother took the daughter and the boy to the best specialist in the city. When the diagnosis came back Asthma, the mother flipped out screaming that my friend caused it. My friend was in tears.
The specialist turned to the mother and said, "No, you are wrong. You need to do some research." and handed the mother a report which backed his words. When she left in a huff, the specialist turned to my friend and said, "I run into non-smokers like this all the time."

Well, I smoked before, during and after my pregnancy.  My daughter grew up in a house of smokers.  She never developed asthma.  And she has no health problems, even today.  She and her hubby both smoke.  She works out at the local gym several times a day if not EVERY day and is strong as a horse. 

[netmilsmom]

Hey She,
Didn't the WHO declare at one time that it is actually healthier for children to be exposed to smoking? It makes their lungs resistant to toxins. Or am I wrong.

You know all!

[CSM]

"Just because someone pays more, it does not necessarily mean that they are not engaging in cost shifting. If I, as a non-smoker have to bear ANY of the cost of treating a smoker, that is immoral."

This is the point, the cost shift is from smokers to non smokers. The lawsuits leading to the MSA were on the basis of the fictitous costs born on society by smoking. However, what are the states doing with the money? They are spending it in the general budgets. My state attempted to put on the last ballot that the MSA money must be spent in the health care industry, my Governor answered with a letter to all HS parents that this proposal would eliminate the pell grant scholarships.

In other words, the smokers are having a heavier burden of government costs placed on them at a much faster rate than the non smokers. If you can't see the facts now, wait until they start taxing foods that are deemed bad by the government and Stanton Glantz!

[netmilsmom]

All McDonalds are smoke free as well.

I got kicked off a homeschooling Yahoo Group because someone posted a petition to have all smoking banned in public buildings in MI. I wrote in stating that I found it strange that a group of homeschoolers would want to legislate people on their own property. If today someone goes after smokers, tomorrow someone could go after homeschoolers. I said that these people should talk with their wallets and frequent non-smoking establishments.

The dogs of hell were released on me and I was removed from the list. Honestly, I was greatly relieved.

[novacation]

That was good . Lol

[cupcakes]

You trouble maker nets;-) I am on a due date list where someone just exclaimed how they would love the "generous" maternity leave in Canada(because, of course, they did not plan adequately for a child or anticipate wanting to be with them longer and thought their 6 weeks would be adequate pre-children and didn't even question that or attempt to save an extra dime or two--too busy investing that money in cutsie nursery items that are unnecessary). I told them I wouldn't since that generous leave comes with a price and either way the general public is paying for it out of their wallet whether it is higher priced goods and services or taxes making it less likely for ANY mother to be able to stay home. I haven't seen the fallout yet, but I'm the listowner so I doubt I'll be kicked off anytime soon;-) LOL.