177 replies to this topic

[GamecockEngineer]

Columbia joins Sullivans Island as the 2nd SC City to ban smoking in public places.  One more vote to iron out details is comming, but this is great news for Columbia.

http://www.thestate....ws/15789399.htm

Edited by GamecockEngineer, 18 October 2006 - 05:58 PM.

[Spartan]

I moved this thread to the state level, and combined Columbia and Greenville's respective threads into this new one.

With Sullivan's Island already banning smoking in public places, Columbia moving forward with its ban, and Greenville strongly considering it, I think it might be interesting to discuss this statewide and track this issue as other cities joing this growing national trend.

[waccamatt]

This is awesome news; I might actually start going out to clubs again.

[Spartan]

Columbia's bar owners are going to lobby to have themselves exempt from this law.

article

[janrey]

wellen, on Oct 17 2006, 10:07 AM, said:

Mandates always come with unintended consequences, and this one would have many.  Tax incentives to restaurants to opt to go smoke free/ higher taxes on tobacco products may be a better option.  

Originally I am from Massachusetts (but been here 15 years) and so far from what I hear from relatives there has been no downside to their banning smoking.  I've heard this also in NYCity.  In both cases, when it was being discussed business claimed that they'd lose money...not so. No money lost.  Anyone who says SC would lose a substantial amount of tobacco tax money need only look at what this state actually charges for taxes on cigs to realize this is without merit.  







Which is more effective?
"Stay off the grass"
"Stay on the sidewalk"

Aligators on the grass  

[Walker Evans]

Columbus established a smoking ban two years ago, and as a non-smoker I really enjoy going out to bars & clubs and not coming home reeking of smoke.

With that said, I voted AGAINST the ban because this isn't about whether or not I like smoke... it's about whether or not business owners should be allowed to run their businesses as they see fit. I think a bar owner should have the choice of whether or not they can allow smoking (which last I checked was a legal activity) in their establishments. If people don't like smoking they can vote with their dollars and simply not patronize smoking establishments. If it's bad for employees they can simply work somewhere else. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head telling them that they have to go to smoky bars.


...
www.ColumbusUnderground.com

[janrey]

Walker Evans, on Oct 22 2006, 01:39 PM, said:

Columbus established a smoking ban two years ago, and as a non-smoker I really enjoy going out to bars & clubs and not coming home reeking of smoke.

With that said, I voted AGAINST the ban because this isn't about whether or not I like smoke... it's about whether or not business owners should be allowed to run their businesses as they see fit. I think a bar owner should have the choice of whether or not they can allow smoking (which last I checked was a legal activity) in their establishments. If people don't like smoking they can vote with their dollars and simply not patronize smoking establishments. If it's bad for employees they can simply work somewhere else. No one is holding a gun to anyone's head telling them that they have to go to smoky bars.
...
www.ColumbusUnderground.com

Unfortunately working somewhere else that has a no smoking policy isn't always an option.  Yes, we as customers can vote with our dollars but unless a majority of establishment owners see fit to go no smoking, workers won't have much of a choice.   I'm all in favor of letting private clubs (those to which you need to be a member to enter) continue to allow smoking but is a restaurant really private if they don't and can't deny entry by the public?  Certainly they are privately owned but they must adhere to public policy.

[Gviller]

I smoke about a pack a week and only in bars and to be honest, I dont care if they ban it or not.

However If they dont have the nuts to pass a law making smoking and tobacco illegal then these little half measures just make me mad.

How you can tell a business owner to not allow something that is legal in his or her business I dont understand.

[Spartan]

Well, narcotics aren't legal. Brothels aren't legal. etc.

Its just an extension of that logic.

Boy every radio show i listened too this morning was pissed off about the possibility of this, however, i get the impression that most people are in favor of it.

[Gviller]

From a logic standpoint I understand banning smoke from any place that derives most of its revenue from food.

I dont understand why they intend on making bar owners comply with this law. Not only comply with it, but they turn them into the cops which is even a bigger problem.

From a freedom standpoint I dont see how the city or anyone else should be able to tell a business owner how to run his or her business as long as they are allowing people to use legal substances.

Many restaurants downtown will not be hurt by this, but most of the bars and bar owners will feel a big hit and some will not make it. Places like City Tavern, Sharky's, Conolly's and other such places will take this on the chin.

Many that support this ban will say fine, A town as high class as Greenville does not need places like this, we need more Rick Erwins and Soby's and other fine dining establishments.

I say remember the places that bring the younger people downtown and the places that brought Greenville to the dance. Places like Conolly's and the Corner Pocket who bring people other than families and the ageing half backs just up from florida.

Please dont get me wrong, me and my family love spending time downtown and I love strolling my two year old around and that is part of what makes Greenville great, but another thing that makes Greenville great is the diverse group of ages and cultures you find downtown.

You start taking away liberties and resticted freedoms and laying down the law and the first people to leave will be that younger group of interesting and creative people that make a place come alive.

I guess it depends on what group of people that you hang out with and I make it a point to spend time with several different groups of people and if I am just worried that if we start banning things that our downtown will loose some of those people and we will be worse off for it.

[jarvismj]

Up here in Massachusetts, it's completely banned everywhere, to my knowledge. Big deal, because it only took me a month of buying smokes for $6 a pack to realize that I was f**king stupid. I've long since quit, and I feel better about myself. That said, I agree with the ban to an extent, for places that serve mostly food. Barleys upstairs is a bar area, and smoking should not be banned there. Same can be said about Wild Wings, Sharkeys, Dougals, etc. Don't ban smoking in bars, but in restaurants, I have no problem with the ban.
There's my two cents.

[wellen]

Greenville to vote tonight to make Oysters on the West End the most popular bar downtown.

[Greenville]

City of Greenville outlaws smoking in bars, restaurants

(the vote passed at tonight's city council meeting...go Greenville!)

[TheCarolinaKing]

Congrats GVille.    I was at a restaurant today ordering takeout at the bar and someone came in (mind you its 3pm) and lit up a huge cigar.  At first I figured it would be okay, but about 10sec later I started catching to second hand.  It was really bad, I started caughing as a result.   The bartender came by to check on the patrons and then said she had to step away...she said "I've smelled cigaretes, but that cigar is just horrible."  After that she left the area for a while.  Eventually I couldn't take it any longer and decided to wait at a table near the kitchen.  With one cigar one customer and the sections main employee were turned off.  I never thought about how much smoke affects the employees of an establishment.  They have to put up with second hand on a regular, constantly putting their health in jeopardy.  

Honestly I cant understand why one needs to smoke while they eat or drink or drive for that matter.  To be honest I can't understand the point of smoking at all.    I hope the State Gov./Columbia area Gov. gets it together and does its citizens a favor and save a few lives and add years to all of our exsistance!

[GvilleSC]

TheCarolinaKing, on Oct 31 2006, 06:23 AM, said:

Congrats GVille.    I was at a restaurant today ordering takeout at the bar and someone came in (mind you its 3pm) and lit up a huge cigar.  At first I figured it would be okay, but about 10sec later I started catching to second hand.  It was really bad, I started caughing as a result.   The bartender came by to check on the patrons and then said she had to step away...she said "I've smelled cigaretes, but that cigar is just horrible."  After that she left the area for a while.  Eventually I couldn't take it any longer and decided to wait at a table near the kitchen.  With one cigar one customer and the sections main employee were turned off.  I never thought about how much smoke affects the employees of an establishment.  They have to put up with second hand on a regular, constantly putting their health in jeopardy.  

Honestly I cant understand why one needs to smoke while they eat or drink or drive for that matter.  To be honest I can't understand the point of smoking at all.    I hope the State Gov./Columbia area Gov. gets it together and does its citizens a favor and save a few lives and add years to all of our exsistance!

Right on.    I applaud Greenville's efforts. Too bad the city limits are so small and many resturants will be left out of this one. I wonder if the county would ever take this issue up.

[wellen]

GvilleSC, on Oct 31 2006, 09:59 AM, said:

Right on.    I applaud Greenville's efforts. Too bad the city limits are so small and many resturants will be left out of this one. I wonder if the county would ever take this issue up.

Places like Chiefs, on Congaree, are now going to be the most popular places in town.  I would think that any bar owner just ouside the city would fight annexation tooth and nail.  And I would not be suprised if we now see commercial developments on the border of the city limits turn down annexation because this law may limit their potential clientel.

IMO, banning a legal activity in a private business=descrimination.  I am not a smoker, but I hate see the public's ability to make a choice taken away.

[Spartan]

I think that this will not affect business that much. People will still go out to eat, and they will just smoke before they go in or after the are done. Thats what all of the smokers I know do now, so its not a major lifestyle change for them.

I was listening to WORD this morning, and you'd think that the world was ending because of this smoking ban. But Russ Cassell tends to be a bit more extreme on his viewpoints than most people on that station.

[wellen]

Spartan, on Oct 31 2006, 10:51 AM, said:

I think that this will not affect business that much. People will still go out to eat, and they will just smoke before they go in or after the are done. Thats what all of the smokers I know do now, so its not a major lifestyle change for them.

I was listening to WORD this morning, and you'd think that the world was ending because of this smoking ban. But Russ Cassell tends to be a bit more extreme on his viewpoints than most people on that station.

When going out for dinner, you are correct.  However, for a night out on the town, in February, it most certainly will make a difference in where people choose to go.

[TheCarolinaKing]

wellen, on Oct 31 2006, 10:22 AM, said:

IMO, banning a legal activity in a private business=descrimination.  I am not a smoker, but I hate see the public's ability to make a choice taken away.

But Is it right to infringe on anothers right to breath air not filled with smoke?  Is it right for someone to suffer the affects of a drunk driver?  Is it right for someone to suffer the affects of someone shooting a gun radomly into a crowd?  

If you worked in direct contact with someone who always had a nausiatingly unpleasant oder, would you  ask them to do something about it...is it right for you to suffer?

Is it right for "the big companies" to continue to raise gas prices making everyone suffer for the benefit of a few?

The concept of voting in a democratic society is exactly what the publics ability to make a choice is about!

Maybe a Tyranny would be better...

[Spartan]

How many downtown restaurants already don't allow smokers? I think its quite a few. I'd be surprised if this significantly affects anyone besides the bars.