Damn anti smoking fanatics! Bars can't serve food and allow smoking? WTF!

[Dis]

It seems question 5 passed. I think the anti smoking fanatics confused people with question 4. Now bars can't serve food and allow smoking at the same time? WTF? This will also affect my place of business as well. I guess we have to stop serving food. Which sucks, as I can get free food at work. .

At least that's what it seems like to me. I haven't heard on any word what this passage will mean. But it seems to me like 1000's of cooks will be out of a job. People will be driving home even drunker because they don't have any food to absorb the alcohol. Or there will be more drunk drivers as people drive themselves to taco bell, then drive themselves back to the bar.

And many of our top restaurants also have bars attached to them. Including one our former lt. governor owned (Lorraine Hunt). Bootlegger, Black Mountain Grill- both are considered good restaurants. Are they going to have to close or go smoke free now? I can't believe this. Stupid voters. I think they got confused between question 4 and 5.

The funny thing is I don't smoke and don't like cigarrette smoke. But I like to grab a fish n' chips at my local bar. Now I apparantly can't.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Dis
Are they going to have to close or go smoke free now?

Your jurisdiction is waaaayy behind the curve if this was the debate!

What were questions 4 and 5 Dis?

[Asher]

I guess we have to stop serving food. Which sucks, as I can get free food at work. .

Wouldn't the smarter thing be to ban smoking?

Your company likely makes money off the food, but not off the smokes.

Smoking is bad, mkay.

[SlowwHand]

Welcome to the 21st Century. Sucks, doesn't it?

[MRT144]

what a stupid conclusion. dis, you really think bars will stop serving food rather than stop people from smoking?

and cooks wont be out of a job. jesus dis. jesus

[Jon Miller]

DC and much of MD banned smoking in bars.. this is a similiar measure.

JM

[Arrian]

Having been a smoker and a non-smoker, I never really had much problem with the idea of banning smoking in restaurants. Bars moreso, but even then what is the big deal about popping outside for a smoke? It saves the non-smokers from having to breath it in, for the most part.

Having said that, I don't understand why there couldn't be a special permit for a "smoking establishment." Those who worked their would sign waivers, and patrons would clearly be choosing to come to a smoking bar...

Meh.

-Arrian

[Dis]

Originally posted by MRT144
what a stupid conclusion. dis, you really think bars will stop serving food rather than stop people from smoking?

and cooks wont be out of a job. jesus dis. jesus

I don't think any of you guys realize what a smokers paradise Las Vegas really is. I have yet to find a girlfriend that doesn't smoke (not that there have been many ). Most women in my city smokes. And of course most men do as well.

[Dis]

Smoking has always been integral to our community. I should note that casinos are exempt from this measure. Casinos basically control the goverment anyways, so we knew they wouldn't have to deal with this.

If anything, the casinos wanted this to pass to drive more people to drink and eat at their casinos. . I hate casinos.

[SlowwHand]

Bars here are pretty much exempt from the tyranny.

[MRT144]

the biggest issue i have with smoking in bars is as follows...

waiters, bartenders, etc etc in general are not provided health insurance by the establishment. they must rely on either private insurance o.o.p or state health services, and more likely than not its the state. the cost of caring for these employees is passed on to the tax payers. the easy thing to do then is cut a work hazard and the cause of this care. its preventitive health care.

[Asher]

I've never been happier and the bars have never been busier since they've banned smoking where I've lived.

And there was a huge hubub by bar owners when it happened about how it would destroy them...

[SlowwHand]

Gay bars are different.

[DRoseDARs]

No on 4, Yes on 5

4 was the one that banished smoking from all public places EXCEPT bars and casinos. 5 banished it from bars that handle food and areas outside the gaming portions of casinos. Sorry, but suck it up Dis. And look on the bright side: It still has to pass again in '08 before becoming law.

[MRT144]

yeah, less closeted homosexuals

[Asher]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Gay bars are different.

Yes, in so far as the gay community smokes more per capita than the straight community. Good call, Sloww.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Bars here are pretty much exempt from the tyranny.

Not even the casinos are exempt here.


Asher - There were bar casualties.

[SlowwHand]

@ Asher.

[Spec]

Smoking in bars and club is illegal now in Quebec since 30th of may 2006. I'm a smoker and I'm glad that law passed.

Spec.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil
Not even the casinos are exempt here.


Asher - There were bar casualties.

There are bar casualties all the time.

Places cease to be trendy at a certain time, and they die.

I find it hard to believe smokers stop going out to clubs at night simply because they have to smoke outside...

[Wezil]

Don't be obtuse.

There were bar casualties directly connected to anti-smoking laws.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil
Don't be obtuse.

There were bar casualties directly connected to anti-smoking laws.

I really find that hard to believe.

You're to tell me that all these social people who frequent bars all stopped going so they can sit and smoke at home?

I'll need some evidence if I'm going to believe this, and I'm going to also have to see bar revenue on a city-wide scale before and after...because if anecdotal evidence holds, bars are busier now than before (gay and straight).

[DRoseDARs]

I think a good way for the places affected by smoking bans to bring back the whining smokers is to offer patrons nicotine patches/gum to get them through their visit.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Asher

I really find that hard to believe.

You're to tell me that all these social people who frequent bars all stopped going so they can sit and smoke at home?

I'll need some evidence if I'm going to believe this, and I'm going to also have to see bar revenue on a city-wide scale before and after...because if anecdotal evidence holds, bars are busier now than before (gay and straight).

I don't have access to their private financial records but..

Lulu's in Kitchener specifically referred to the law there (one of the first jurisdictions in Ontario to do so btw) as the final straw for their business.

I'm one smoker that goes out considerably less now than before and the sole reason is lack of smoking. I'm unusual but not that unusual.

Not so hard to believe if you smoke.

[Asher]

Lulu's in Kitchener specifically referred to the law there (one of the first jurisdictions in Ontario to do so btw) as the final straw for their business.

As the "final straw"? Sounds like they had other problems and this was a convenient scapegoat.

[Jon Miller]

I haven't observed bars losing patrons. I just see bars with huge numbers that shift out every 30-60 minutes to smoke.

JM

[Asher]

The whole thing is a joke. This has happened to cities all around the world and the bar scenes are still thriving.

Even in Kitchener-Waterloo I've had trouble finding places that don't have lines to get in.

If your bar is failing in a small city with that university students from two major universities and a handful of community colleges, you've got far bigger problems than the fact that no bar in the region allows smoking inside.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
I think a good way for the places affected by smoking bans to bring back the whining smokers is to offer patrons nicotine patches/gum to get them through their visit.

No, the way to go is to hold non-smokers down and blow shotgun hits in their faces.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Asher

As the "final straw"? Sounds like they had other problems and this was a convenient scapegoat.

Sorry, went out for a smoke.

Sure, Lulu's had many of the issues you mentioned earlier to deal with but they were surviving. It was the economic damage done by the non-smoking law that put them under.

Quite simply, business is in business to make money. If going nonsmoking was profitable then they (bars and restaurants) would not have to be forced to go smoke free. They would follow the dollars and do so willingly.

There are many reasons and arguments for such bans but let's be honest about the economics of it.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
No, the way to go is to hold non-smokers down and blow shotgun hits in their faces.

Last I checked, making such violent statements was frowned upon here.