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Fla. restaurant smoking ban takes effect Tuesday
Reuters ^
| 29 Jun 2003 19:35:20 GMT
| Jane Sutton
Posted on 06/30/2003 4:39:17 AM PDT by Tank-FL
MIAMI, June 29 (Reuters) - Florida's new ban on smoking in restaurants takes effect on Tuesday, literally pushing cigarette-puffing patrons out the door to protect other diners and drinkers from the health hazards of second-hand smoke.
The ban applies to nearly all indoor workplaces. But since smoking was already prohibited in government buildings, stores, theaters and most office buildings, restaurants and nightclubs were pretty much the only places left to feel the impact.
Smoker Jose Belisario, taking a cigarette break on the outdoor plaza of a Miami office building, said he did not smoke in restaurants anyway.
"But in the bars and discos, when you are drinking you like to smoke," he said.
Voters approved Florida's ban by a whopping 71 percent in November. Diners who light up after Tuesday face a $100 fine the first time and fines of up to $500 for repeat violations.
The ban was sponsored by Smoke-Free for Health -- made up of Florida divisions of the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and other anti-smoking groups. It says 53,000 American non-smokers a year die from diseases caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.
"Now everybody in Florida is going to be protected from this indoors," said Smoke-Free spokesman John Fleming.
The Florida Restaurant Association had opposed a smoking ban for years. But seeing the strong support, it concentrated on winning exemptions for member businesses that draw lots of smokers.
As a result, smoking will still be allowed on outdoor patios like the trendy porch-front cafes that dot tourism-dependent resort towns like Miami Beach and Key West.
Smoking is also allowed in private social clubs like the Moose and the Elks and in stand-alone bars where food accounts for less than 10 percent of total sales.
The ban's impact on revenues is hard to predict, restaurant association spokeswoman Lea Crusberg said. Some restaurants banned smoking in January, when the new law became part of the state constitution.
"Restaurants who went ahead and banned it have seen an increase in non-smoking customers coming in," she said.
But for nightclubs where cigarettes and cocktails have always been part of the ambience, owners say driving out smokers will cut into their revenues.
Miami's oldest cabaret, Tobacco Road, does a brisk lunch and dinner business and cannot afford to stop serving food, which accounts for more than 35 percent of its revenues.
At night it is a music hall and general manager Joe Portela snorts at the irony of making it safe for non-smokers: "We don't have that many of them." But what really has him fuming is what he sees as an attack on private business and individual rights.
"Cigarettes are a legal item," said Portela, a non-smoker. "Now they're going to tell you where and when you can't do it. That's fine in a public place but not in a private location ... If I want to choose to allow smokers in here, and it's a legal item, I should be able to."
TOPICS: Announcements; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: florida; pufflist; smoking; smokingban; tobacco
Coming to a State near you!
1
posted on
06/30/2003 4:39:17 AM PDT
by
Tank-FL
To: Tank-FL
It says 53,000 American non-smokers a year die from diseases caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.BOGUS CLAIM! Where's the proof to support these self-serving numbers?
2
posted on
06/30/2003 4:49:15 AM PDT
by
borisbob69
(This space available...)
To: Tank-FL
to protect other diners and drinkers from the health hazards of second-hand smoke.
There are NO demonstrable hazards of short term exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Even long term exposure fails to correlate with increases in lung cancer in non-smokers. The relative risks for heart disease are a little higher, but they still don't even get out of the range of statistical noise. These bans are simply politicians' ways of pandering to and exacerbating public fears in order to score political points. They typically do this with the excuse of "But if it saves only one life, it's worth it." More often than not, anything that's justified this way (Drive 55, arrive alive) ends up taking more lives than it saves. It's stupid; it's evil; and it's blatantly unconstitutional. But since when did these reasons ever get in the way of politicians eager to boost their careers?
3
posted on
06/30/2003 4:49:31 AM PDT
by
aruanan
To: Tank-FL
I am a non smoker and I detest second smoke. But smokers have a right to socialize with other smokers and with non smokers who don't mind tobacco smoke. What's going on is a systematic destruction of public places for smokers to socialize and congregate. It's a reprehensible power trip by the anti tobacco lobbyists and health nazis. They are un American scum
It's important to have public places for people to socialize, dine, drink, dance as they wish in a legal way. Smokers should have such places and not be treated as pariahs. They pay taxes same as everyone else. It also hurts the psychology of the population when people cannot socialize. It ends up hurting America and our economy.
The anti smoking crazies owe the smokers of America an apology.
4
posted on
06/30/2003 4:53:30 AM PDT
by
dennisw
(G-d is at war with Amalek for all generations)
To: dennisw
They pay taxes same as everyone else.Smokers pay plenty more taxes than everyone else.
5
posted on
06/30/2003 4:59:33 AM PDT
by
NautiNurse
(If Lawton Chiles runs for the Senate seat in 2004, we will **really** have Jurassic Park in Florida)
To: borisbob69
I agree the numbers are not only bogus...it means they are overlooking the REAL factor in the death of these people. I remember a friend whose father (age 87) died. The coroner said he wasn't sure of the reason but had to put down something. The son suggested "old age". The coroner said that was not a "cause".
6
posted on
06/30/2003 5:54:10 AM PDT
by
Sacajaweau
(God Bless Our Troops!!)
To: Tank-FL
T'anks for the reminder. BTW, does FL still have the billboards with 800 numbers urging people to report smoking? And does the new law allow Hooters to offer an alternative?...
7
posted on
06/30/2003 10:40:41 AM PDT
by
talleyman
((Brushfires okay, cigarettes bad.))
To: Tank-FL; Doctor Raoul; kristinn
Well, I guess Anne Coulter will have to re-think her moving plans. Someone needs to let her know that northern Virginia (i.e., metro DC) still permits smoking in restaurants.
8
posted on
06/30/2003 10:48:55 AM PDT
by
Xthe17th
(FREE THE STATES. Repeal the 17th amendment!)
To: SheLion
One for you ping list.
9
posted on
07/01/2003 8:26:55 AM PDT
by
CSM
(To be anti smoking is to be anti life! Ayn Rand, provided to me by Beckett)
To: CSM; *puff_list; Just another Joe; Great Dane; Max McGarrity; Tumbleweed_Connection; ...
One for you ping list. Thank you!
10
posted on
07/01/2003 7:46:44 PM PDT
by
SheLion
To: Tank-FL
made up of Florida divisions of the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association and other anti-smoking groups. It says 53,000 American non-smokers a year die from diseases caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.The usual suspects for nanny state rules to protect the sheeple that can't think for themselves.
I would really like to see the proof behind their figures but, alas, they don't have any.
Coming to a State near you!
Not if I can help it.
I fought the Missouri tobacco tax. I'll fight any smoking ban on private businesses with the same fervor.
11
posted on
07/01/2003 8:10:59 PM PDT
by
Just another Joe
(FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
To: Tank-FL
No big deal. I just happen to know of four of my local hangouts that quit serving food. Two others built "outdoor" Tiki Bars. Personally, I hope the owners of the two bars with outdoor decks put a bouncer on the door and ban non-smokers from coming out there OR charge non-smokers a $10.00 cover charge.
12
posted on
07/01/2003 8:21:40 PM PDT
by
Beck_isright
(If Dennis Kucinich ran for President would anyone know it?)
To: borisbob69
If this was true tobacco would not exist. PROPERGANDER ; )
13
posted on
07/02/2003 4:18:41 AM PDT
by
Conspiracy Guy
(Read Buddy's, (the labrador retriever), new book about the Clintons, "Living Hell")
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