OT Calif. City Bans Smoking in Public Places

"Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so far,
that's still their right."

Then why do not heroin, cocaine, or meth addicts have that same right?
Tobacco users should be subject to the same regulations and controls as
users of other deadly addictive drugs.

For our friends in all the other countries -- what is the attitude
toward smoking there? Do many people still smoke? Is it banned in
restaurants, public buildings, hotels and such?
Thanks for the info.--I was just curious.

Hi

Here in the UK it is currently legal to smoke pretty much anywhere but
a ban on smoking in pubs, clubs and restaurants etc etc will come into
effect in 2007 unless there is a legal challenge mounted by someone
(one hotel chain in Scotland is doing so- Scotland got its ban a few
weeks ago). People will still be allowed to smoke outside for the
moment. A lot of pubs over the last few years have had designated no
smoking areas and one chain (Witherspoons I think) have already banned
smoking inside their pubs although you can smoke in the beer gardens I
gather (I don't much care for their pubs so I am unlikely to find out)

Ironically as the houses of Parliament are a Royal Palace the laws of
the land do not apply so the MP's who voted this bill in, will still be
able to smoke in the warm at the bar while the rest of us plebs have to
freeze in winter

Most workplaces have some sort of smoking policy either allowing it in
designated areas or as with where I work not allowing it on site at
all- we can get sacked if we smoke even in the grounds. The irony is
our clinical director (Rabid anti-smoker) has an office that looks out
on a road, cross the road and you are not in the grounds and cannot be
touched. I am told (it's at another site) some smokers take great (if
somewhat childish)pleasure at smoking opposite his window so when he
looks out, he can see them but he can't sack them!


Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

Matthew AKA NMR ( NO MORE RETAIL ) wrote:
They are starting to get a lot males me glad We quit years and years
ago http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060319/...us/smoking_ban

They recently banned smoking in all public buildings here, including all
bars and resteraunts (prior, you could smoke in bars), and all the bars and
so-called nightclubs here in town complained that they would loose business.

Well, according to a write-up in a local paper (pay to view, so I won't even
bother to post a link),one of the bars has increased business by 13%!! (20%
this January over last January)

Bloomington. Business at Nick's is booming; the restaurant's revenue is up
15 percent from last year. Jeremy Hogan | Herald-Times
» buy this photo
Nick's says smoking ban helped their business

By Marcela Creps
Hoosier Times
March 19, 2006
BLOOMINGTON - In a town where the highest grossing restaurant pulls in a
little less than $4 million, surviving can be a difficult task.
But for the owners of Nick's English Hut, business went up this year 13
percent, putting its earnings at the top of the list of local restaurants.
One of the owners, Dick Barnes, said their numbers continue to go up a
little bit every month.
"We're up this January," he said. "We're up 20 percent over last January."
While some area bars have complained that the smoking ban cost them
business, Barnes attributes Nick's growth to the smoking ban.
"We have so many more pregnant women come in," Barnes said. "We have ladies
come in. We hear people say 'we've always liked Nick's but we just didn't
come in because of smoking.'"
Restaurant partner and general manager Mike Hall also believes the smoking
ban has boosted Nick's business.
"The smoking ban has helped our food business tremendously," he said.
"People are now coming in to eat our food because there's no more smoking.
Liquor sales didn't change much. It's the food sales that have helped us."
A look at the numbers shows that Nick's did $941,065 in food sales compared
with $887,516 the previous year, a 6 percent increase. Alcohol sales saw a
larger increase, going up 21 percent to $1,660,390 from $1,366,849 last
year.
Barnes said the smoking ban has provided other benefits, including less
cleaning that needs to be done to framed pictures and windows.
"Also, people tell us now they can smell the food cooking in the kitchen,"
Barnes said.
Hall said they also have healthier employees, since employees who smoke must
leave the building to do so.
"Some of my employees have cut back a lot, because they don't smoke in the
building," he said. "It's deterred them from smoking a pack a day."
A recent shift in ownership also has been good for the long-time restaurant.
Barnes, Hall and longtime kitchen manager Greg "Rags" Rago are now partners.
"Morale has just peaked," Barnes said. "It's really amazing."
Hall agreed and credits the staff for helping make Nick's the No. 1 local
restaurant.
"I think the reason that our sales are up is our staff has been tremendous
this year," Hall said. Morale has been super."
Hall thinks new and old customers will continue to come to Bloomington. He
said most of their new customers are nonsmokers who appreciate the
smoke-free environment.
"We've gained a new customer base," he said.
Other local gainers
Shanti Indian Cuisine on Kirkwood saw the largest increase, more than
doubling from the previous year to $368,000.
Shanti's manager Ram Parab offered a simple explanation for their increase.
"It must be lots of love and affection," he said. "People care for us."
Parab said nothing had changed during the past year, or even during the 10
years since the restaurant opened. He said many new customers will say they
were told about the restaurant by a friend.
"Definitely we're happy," Parab said. "We're really happy about the support
we get."
El Norteno on North Walnut more than doubled in business, going to $207,803
from $101,323.
Other locals that saw large increases included Sushi Bar on 10th Street, at
$342,269, and the Encore Cafe, which climbed over the $1 million mark to
$1,038,711.
George Huntington, general manager for Encore, said the presence of more
people downtown is one of the things helping the restaurant achieve its
goals.
"We've had a vision all along of having a kind of community gathering spot
there, and it's happening," Huntington said. "It's amazing."
Huntington said the restaurant serves as a meeting place, as well as a place
for music and the arts.
"It's a community-owned restaurant that's really embracing the community,
and the community is embracing it," Huntington said. "I'm not sure which is
which."
And then there's the food. Huntington stressed the importance of local
products and the efforts made to include as many home-grown products as
possible.
"We really do push that local angle as best we can," he said.

© 1997 - 2006 Hoosiertimes Inc. No commercial reproduction without prior
written consent.
Electronic reproduction of any kind forbidden without written consent.

Fat Freddy wrote:
"Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so far,
that's still their right."

Then why do not heroin, cocaine, or meth addicts have that same right?
Tobacco users should be subject to the same regulations and controls as
users of other deadly addictive drugs.

Probably because heroin, cocaine and meth are still illegal. Smoking,
so far, is restricted but not yet illegal.

Sherry

The only reason smoking is not illegal in the US is because of a very
strong tobacco lobby. At the Bretton Woods ski area, smoking is not
allowed inside the lodge. At the Whales Tale Water Park (in the summer)
smoking is only allowed in a designated area that is far removed from
the water attractions and not allowed in any buildings.


---MIKE---
In the White Mountains of New Hampshire
(44° 15' N - Elevation 1580')

wrote:


For our friends in all the other countries -- what is the attitude
toward smoking there? Do many people still smoke? Is it banned in
restaurants, public buildings, hotels and such?
Thanks for the info.--I was just curious.

In Finland, smoking is banned in public buildings, public transport and
workplaces. Bars and restaurants have to have smoking and non-smoking
areas, and there are pretty detailed rules on how to arrange the
non-smoking area so that it is truly smoke-free. Parliament is preparing
a complete ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi
Stories and pics at http://koti.welho.com/mkurten/
Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/
and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki

Marina wrote:
wrote:


For our friends in all the other countries -- what is the attitude
toward smoking there? Do many people still smoke? Is it banned in
restaurants, public buildings, hotels and such?
Thanks for the info.--I was just curious.

In Finland, smoking is banned in public buildings, public transport
and workplaces. Bars and restaurants have to have smoking and
non-smoking areas, and there are pretty detailed rules on how to
arrange the non-smoking area so that it is truly smoke-free.
Parliament is preparing a complete ban on smoking in bars and
restaurants.

I would also ban it within 100 metres of the entrance and anywhere that
children are present.
--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

On 2006-03-20, penned:

Another aspect that I find peculiar are the employers who forbid
employees to smoke, period. Even away from work. I mean, what's next?
Forbidding employees to eat Krispy Kremes? That's not healthy either,
no?

I'm not familiar with any such companies, but I do know that most
people who smoke stink. Literally. Yes, it gets in their clothes and
on their breath, but a prolonged smoker's body actually stinks of it.
Yechh. That could be a presentation issue for some jobs.

I've yet to meet someone who stank of Krispy Kreme.


--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

On 2006-03-20, penned:

For our friends in all the other countries -- what is the attitude
toward smoking there? Do many people still smoke? Is it banned in
restaurants, public buildings, hotels and such? Thanks for the
info.--I was just curious.

When I was in Germany a couple of years ago, I was really grossed out
by people lighting up in restaurants. Granted, I am spoiled here in
Boulder, where smoking is banned in public facilities ... I love being
able to go to an indoor concert and not stink of smoke when I come
out. I love going to a restaurant and not worrying that someone will
light up (and sorry, but I've never been in a non-smoking section that
helped much when there were people smoking elsewhere -- it would have
to be an entirely separate room with closed doors!).

But I think it was about the same in Germany as in places in the US
where smoking isn't banned.


--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

On 2006-03-20, ---MIKE--- penned:
Chak wrote-

Those who smoke out of doors are hurting only themselves, and so
far, that's still their right.

Not exactly. Smoking raises health care costs. This raises
insurance rates and impacts medicare. Everybody is affected.

Yeah, but so does exposure to the sun, participating in contact
sports, riding a motorcycle ... eating greasy food ... not exercising
enough ...

I agree that smoking is a risk factor, but I worry about where that
line of thinking would lead.


--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca