Smoking Ban in Your City (NRR)
onetet
1,754 Posts
Has a smoking ban taken effect in your area -- and, if so, what impact has it had? People happy with it, unhappy with it? Business holding steady, going up, going down? People who opposed the ban still pissed about it, simmering down, coming around? Bmore's passed in Feb or so and goes in effect in a few weeks. It's a hard-drinking, hard-smoking town so some people are up in arms about it. As someone who stopped going out as much due to my distaste for smokey environments and related health concerns, I'm looking forward to it -- but I'm more interested in the observations of people who've had it implemented in their areas rather than whether people are "pro" or "con" w/ this issue.
Comments
minneapolis' went into effect a couple years (3 maybe) ago and its great! most places set up an area outside for the smokers and even in winter with -20 wind chills, they're still out there puffing away. it didn't change a damn thing except i can breathe better and i don't stink after going out to a bar/club! that stale smoke stench is mad gross for those of us who don't partake.... enjoy!
I've heard people in some cities say they thought they'd hate having to go outside, but generally like it (except in shitty weather, obviously) -- due I guess to the social component to smoking. This ring true to the smokers out there in non-smoking cities?
you stay in Bmore?
I'd bet most of the neighborhood joints will remain smokey, the ban will probably be felt mostly around downtown and fells point and stuff.
Oh! Hi Ontet! No I do not. Im about and hour and a half from Chicago. I live in a College town (U of I). Heres a funny clip of The Daily Show making fun of a rather long issue in my town about the Chief. I thinks its funny as hell!!
In other news im still smoke free after 6 weeks. It feels awesome.
Well, the difference is that you won't smell any worse than normal when you leave the place.
There is a provision in Bmore legistation that bars can apply for an exemption if they can document that the ban has hurt their business; only time will tell how many will apply, how tough or lenient the gov will be in granting these, etc. It has the potential to result in a smoking ban in name only.
And yeah, I'm sure many neighborhood bars will just ignore the law or pay someone off. Also, the music scene in Bmore is very much centered around uncoded venues like warehouses and lofts, and I can't imagine any of these will choose to go non-smoking.
they've done this in Bmore for years as well. Their employees are always hot ladies with a flirty demeanor, and in exchange for a free pack of cigarettes you only have to let them... photocopy your ID.
Funny stuff.
Best thing that has ever happened in DC bars, IMO. The first month(last Jan) people would vacate en masse to go smoke, now, you hardly notice. At the new spot we dj, they have a huge bar outside on a covered-deck. technically it's outside, so I believe you can smoke, so it's pretty popular out there for a lot of reasons.
Compared to my old home town, Minneapolis, DC was practically a non-smoking town anyway, but it is beautiful to be smoke-free on a Saturday night in a small club!!
once i was at an outdoor concert in SLC and they had a smoking ban in effect, i was a little surprised
There's a local Baltimore forum and people are so up in arms about this (mostly smokers who are on some why-must-I-cry shit and libertarians doing their thing). The Baltimore city council was actually unironically referred to as "the legions of Mordor" at one point. Anyway, I was very surprised to find I was in the minority in supporting the ban.
see i'd have to disagree with this right here. i always smoked outside as it was my way of getting out of a crowded club and having some shig time. unfortunately, ever since this law i now sometimes have to walk around the corner to get any kind of privacy with me and my smokes.
Yeah, I often went outside anyway also, but I remember it being kind of a drag to have to. Plus, as you've said, it suddenly got awfully crowded out in front of everywhere.
I also rememer that toward the tail end of my smoking career (early 00's) they started pulling shit like you'd have to be 200 ft. from a public building and security gaurds were harassing people about it... and no smoking at the beach and shit. I'm thinking this was a county thing though, maybe. There was kind of the vibe of pressuring people to quit through laws, which is retarded if you ask me.
I live in Minneapolis as well and I have to say I was very happy when the smoking ban went into effect. Not that it is any better for you but with all the smokers standing outside it is easy to go about and light up the trees in a casual manner.
oh. i was talking about hweed. i now have to sometimes walk around 2 corners or go in my car to puff.
council person who pushed it through just got elected mayor, so people cant be that irate