Posted on 08/09/2002 3:40:07 PM PDT by Ed_NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg will ask the City Council next week to outlaw smoking in the roughly 13,000 establishments not covered by the current law, which permits smoking in bars and in restaurants with fewer than 35 seats.
It would be the second time in as many months that the Bloomberg administration has targeted smokers; in July, it raised the cigarette tax from 8 cents to $1.50 a pack.
"If you are a bartender or a waiter or waitress and work in an establishment where there is smoking, in an eight-hour day it's the equivalent of you smoking half a pack of cigarettes yourself," said Bloomberg, who quit smoking 18 years ago.
"No employer would allow their employees to work in a place with asbestos in the air," said Bloomberg. "This is just as dangerous and that's why we should stop it now."
Elena Deutsch, director of Tobacco Control at the American Cancer Society, said the mayor's "sensational" proposal would protect workers from "a Class A carcinogen."
Not everyone shared their concern. "Being subjected to smoke is part of my job," said bartender Tony Trincanello, leaning on an ashtray-strewn counter at Milos' Greek restaurant in midtown.
In July, the New York State Restaurant Association dropped its longstanding opposition to the current smoking law after a survey showed most members were in favor of it.
The association will now poll members about whether they support a total smoking ban, said E. Charles Hunt, executive vice president of a local association chapter.
"It's not going to happen," declared Trincanello. "There is too much politics from restaurant owners and the fear of losing customers."
"You have the right to do what you want," chimed in lunchtime patron Nicky Polak, a social smoker who believes it should be allowed in the bar area.
Art dealer Keelie Hartigan said she would love to see smoking banned everywhere but felt it could be allowed at the bar "if it is segregated" from the dining room.
Brendan McCormick, a spokesman for Philip Morris, said the company supported "reasonable restrictions" but felt "business owners should have the flexibility in how they deal with smoking in their establishments."
"An outright smoking ban in hospitality venues definitely goes too far," he said.
"We believe that the current law in New York City is working," agreed Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, which represents 10,000 on-premise licensees of bars and taverns in New York City.
That group "will attempt to defeat or modify this law to mitigate the economic harm," said Wexler.
Bloomberg pointed to California as proof that there would be no economic loss.
"All of the evidence suggests that in California, where they did this, that actually the patronage of restaurants and bars - the amount of money spent in them - goes up, not down," he said.
Bloomberg said private clubs would be exempt; "I don't know that the city could get involved."
Most states have some level of restrictions on public smoking. In addition to California, Delaware and several municipalities, including El Paso, Texas, enforce total bans on smoking in bars and restaurants.
Three other states - Maine, Utah and Vermont - ban smoking in restaurants but not bars.
According to the American Nonsmokers' Rights Foundation, as of July 5, nearly 400 communities have local ordinances that ban smoking in all restaurants, and 89 have ordinances banning smoking in all freestanding bars.
FMCDH
For awhile there, I thought this fool might have at least half a brain...guess not.
FMCDH
Personally, I think all RATS should be banned, period.
"No employer would allow their employees to work in a place with asbestos in the air," said Bloomberg. "This is just as dangerous and that's why we should stop it now."
Bloominidiot is a liar - and needs to look into the truth of this matter.
But typical of one of the "saved" he will ignore the fact that OSHA has not and does not have a PEL level of second hand smoke the way they do for asbestos.
There is a reason for this - because if they set a PEL - smoking would be reinstated nearly everywhere, if the only reason is for "protection" of the workers.
Because it is not about health and only about control they will ignore this little fact.
The difference is that in California, a smoker can't get on a rapid transit train (PATH tubes), and make a 5 minute trip to go to a bar or restaurant in the next state. I wonder if unemployment will be bad for the health of NYC waiters/waitresses and bartenders!
Gotta love that name!!!!
She needs to read the Federal Court decision that threw out the EPA's science for making that declaration.
She also needs to know that exposure to the sun is a "class A carcinogen." For that matter walking in lower manhattan should be a class a carcinogen.
These people need to get a life and leave others' lives alone.
In actuality it doesn't work in CA. The study be promoted by the proponents of this piece of crapola comes from one of the most highly paid anti-smokers in the nation.
Stanton Glantz, a UCSF professor, did the study that said the ban helped California business.
What he failed to mention in his bought and paid for press releases was that he included EVERY license holder that served food or alcohol.
In other words he included fast food, take-out, and catering along with the bars and restaurants. He mixed apples and oranges to come up with those numbers.
Oh, good grief, don't give that blankety blank any more control over anything.........
but I understand where you are coming from!!!
These people need to get a life and leave others' lives alone.
10-4 on leave others alone. Based on my limited experience (three years) all of manhattan is dangerous to your health - especially on the street. Mayor Bloomberg would do well to focus his attention on street crime, for one. Or, start issuing concealed-carry permits to any law-abiding resident who wants one. Nah . . . never happen in NYC.
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