Chicago: If you can't take the smoke, get out of the bar

You are talking about a level playing field. And you are also saying that all business's must be made smoke free so this one business doesn't loose money. Well, excuse me. But all the rest that go non smoking will also lose a lot of revenue. We just don't "go there anymore."

i'm saying that that's what the owners were saying. they were making the point that you can't just make one small area smoke free. many of them fight against statewide bans as well because they don't want to lose the business. as a smoker and a bartender i know that many would not bother coming to the bars anymore if they couldn't smoke.
also what must be considered is the impact to HVAC companies. if all public places went smoke free how much business would be lost for them if they lose an entire product line that they can sell, install and service?
going to non-smoking would be bad for all involved, even the whiney people who would get their way, who like to goto bars would be negatively impacted. higher prices, smaller inventories, and fewer patrons would make their trip to the bar less fun.

Hi, I was published in the University of IL's Newspaper last week and I never knew it......
______________________________
Garnet Dawn - The Smoker's Club, Inc. - Midwest Regional Director
The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter - http://www.smokersclubinc.com
Illinois Smokers Rights - http://www.illinoissmokersrights.com/
mailto:garnetdawn@comcast.net - Respect Freedom of Choice!
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http://www.chicagoflame.com/media/paper519/news/2005/10/17/Opinions/Letters.To.The.Editor-1022176.shtml

A fair playing field
Michaelia Fosses' editorial, "If you can't take the smoke get out of the bar" was excellent. In addition, the restaurateurs in Chicago who are promoting a smoking ban because they are already smoke-free and claim business is booming, will loose their competitive advantage if a city-wide hospitality smoking ban becomes reality. Chicago will loose overall local resident business, tourist trade and conventions till these clueless entrepreneurs find their profits nose-diving, along with all the other restaurants and bars in the city. The Health Industry lobby's next approach will have to be to propose a state-wide smoking ban. Can't Chicago smoke-free proponents read the news and learn from recent New York, Wisconsin and Minnesota hospitality tragedies from smoking bans? Level playing field arguments clearly support why governmental regulation of smoking policies in the hospitality industry do not work.

going to non-smoking would be bad for all involved, even the whiney people who would get their way, who like to goto bars would be negatively impacted. higher prices, smaller inventories, and fewer patrons would make their trip to the bar less fun.

Right! And people forget about the 'trickle down effect.' Loss of revenue not only affects the business, but all the vendors that supply that business as well. From linens to beer and soft drinks, etc. If the revenue isn't there, then the business has no need to keep stocking up. The smoking bans are choking our economy.

One of the problems with the ban in an area near me (Massachusetts) is the people that live near the bar are complaining about the folks hanging around outside smoking.

Sure. Next they will be screaming about the butts laying around on the ground because the business won't provide an outside receptacle for the smokers. Anything to cast us in a nasty light!

They should ban all harmfull substances. This will include red meat, alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, and water (a lab rat died after being force-fed 273 gallons of water).

What happened to the USA where people minded their own business and didn't feel the need to regulate what everyone else does?

*sigh*

Nanny government didn't put blood, sweat and tears into a business. Yet, they are allowed to go in and dictate how the owner is to run it? Totally disgusting.

Why do bar owners spend many thousands of dollars on smoke eaters? If smoking bans were good for business, you'd think the bar owners would simply ban smoking and save the money they'd no longer have to spend on air filters and such.

Perhaps the business owners know what the Smoke Nazis refuse to admit: that smoking bans cost THOUSANDS of dollars in revenue. And unlike the Smoke Nazis, they're willing to put their money where their mouth is.

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