I am not forcing you to be in that atmosphere!
Good for your Friend, he is living on others misery. Not all can jump through the hoops necessary to get a "mother may I".
By "others misery" I meant "other business owners". You know, those that lost business or went out of business because of the "nanny law".
Assuming that the same percentage of patrons went out before and after the ban. Many people passed on going out because of the raunchy stench of smoke odor permeating everything on their body including clothes and hair. Now there's a whole new market of people to appeal to. Families who don't want their children to have to deal with the smoke, etc. Sure, nonsmoking restaurants could exist now, but your strategy is to post it on their door whether or not they're smoking. Most families would not bother to know the establishments that allow smoking. Plus, the establishments that would have a waiver would see the business of the businesses which chose not to get a waiver. Sure, customers may change loyalties. This does not mean business declines.