You are NOT on the DirtyGreek.Org homepage. Please CLICK HERE to go there.
I spent last night at several Winston-Salem bars and can report that they were all abiding by the smoking ban. I can also report that it was an amazing experience. I felt like I was in New York again... and that's fantastic. I was able to spend the whole time talking to people and even hung out in some bars that I usually can't stay in for very long. I didn't have to inhale any second-hand smoke, and less importantly but still happily, I don't have to febreeze or otherwise deodorize my clothes and coat.
I just thought that since I'd done some research on this topic, I'd share with you what I found.
American Cancer Society:Many studies have been published in the health industry literature on the economic effect of smoke-free policies. The majority have found that there is no negative economic impact associated with bans and many findings that there may be a positive effect on local businesses. A 2003 review of 97 such studies of the economic effects of a smoking ban on the hospitality industry found that the "best-designed" studies concluded that smoking bans did not harm businesses. Tobacco Control Journal:Conclusion: All of the best designed studies report no impact or a positive impact of smoke-free restaurant and bar laws on sales or employment. Policymakers can act to protect workers and patrons from the toxins in secondhand smoke confident in rejecting industry claims that there will be an adverse economic impact. PubMed, National Library Of Medicine:Clean indoor air laws are easily implemented, are well accepted by the public, reduce nonsmoker exposure to secondhand smoke, and contribute to a reduction in overall cigarette consumption. There are currently thousands of clean indoor air laws throughout the Unites States, and the majority of Americans live in areas where smoking is completely prohibited in workplaces, restaurants, or bars. The vast majority of scientific evidence indicates that there is no negative economic impact of clean indoor air policies, with many studies finding that there may be some positive effects on local businesses. This is despite the fact that tobacco industry-sponsored research has attempted to create fears to the contrary. Further progress in the diffusion of clean indoor air laws will depend on the continued documentation of the economic impact of clean indoor air laws, particularly within the hospitality industry. This article reviews the spread of clean indoor air laws, the effect on public health, and the scientific evidence of the economic impact of implementation of clean indoor air laws.
Now sure, you can find some business-funded studies that say the opposite, but who would you trust? Up to you. Either way, it doesn't matter, because this fight is over.
By the way, questioning the constitutionality of these laws won't get you very far. Denver Post:A district court judge ruled today that the state has the right to ban smoking where it sees fit — a decision that dashed the efforts of an Adams County topless club to permit smoking by its patrons.
"The public interest in protecting the health of non-smoking patrons from harm...is a legitimate exercise of the state's police powers," said District Judge Chris Melonakis Even the legal teams of ban opponents know this and try to get the bans removed using technicalities, NOT the idea that banning smoking is itself unconstitutional:The complaint filed Tuesday states that the statute "is impermissibly vague" about what conduct is criminalized and therefore violates the plaintiffs' constitutional right to due process. Now for the best part - how will the ban effect health in North Carolina? If it's like others that have come before it, quite a bit:The effect of the smoking ban should mean rates in the UK fall from around 50 per 100,000 people to around 40 per 100,000 by 2024. Also, heart attacks should drop.
So, there you have it. Go out and spend some cash on a few drinks in the next few days, and thank your local bars for respecting the public welfare.
|
