Mecklenburg County wants to Ban Smoking in Restaurants

[Raintree21]

I think business at downtown bars would actually increase if they banned smoking. There are so many people that don't go out simply because they can't stand coming home at the end of the night reaking of cigarette smoke. If the bars want, they could then have a smoking room, like Fox and the Hound has a cigar room perhaps?

[ScottCLT]

I think business at downtown bars would actually increase if they banned smoking. There are so many people that don't go out simply because they can't stand coming home at the end of the night reaking of cigarette smoke. If the bars want, they could then have a smoking room, like Fox and the Hound has a cigar room perhaps?

[Raintree21]

Well, the bill was introduced by Mecklenburg legislators so is that evidence that the demand is their by the clientele?

[dubone]

Health policy must be legislated. Food suppliers didn't increase food safety because of altruism before laws were enacted, gas refiners didn't avoid adding lead because of altruism before laws were enacted, etc. Upholstery and clothing manufacturers still make textiles from toxic chemicals. Water and drinks are still bottled in plastic that leaches chemicals into what is being drunk. Name a product these days that isn't made with polyvinyl chloride, including the pipes in our homes.

The bottom line is that unless it is swift and overt, most businesses will never go out of their way not to kill their customers. In fact, unless it is swift and overt, most people will not go out of their way not to kill themselves.

Science discovers facts, policymakers review facts and set policy, people and businesses abide. Until society has the conscience to not slowly poison its members, then society cannot be free of regulation. The reason that a smoking ban cannot be left to the marketplace, is that the marketplace has failed to act. I'm not advocating a ban of smoking cigarettes, and I don't even think there should be as strong a ban on certain drugs. But I think strongly that smoking should be banned in all indoor workplaces (including restaurants and bars).

From an urbanist perspective, I think it will allow restaurants to pursue more outdoor (al fresco) dining space, which is good for urban vibrancy. From a humanist perspective, I'm opposed to having toxic environments that threaten the health of everyone.

[Neo]

This topic lights me up (pun intended) everytime I hear something about it. I am in total 100% favor of banning smoking cigarettes and personally I'm in favor of banning them alltogether but that is for another debate. There are countless places I can't go that I would like to try out because of smoking policies. I can't see how banning smoking in court for instance is different than banning it in a public restaurant. Over the course of the past several months we have been to a few restaurants where smoke was so horrid in the atmosphere that we have made a huge fuss and vowed to management never to come back just because of the smoke. Unfortunately I believe that most people just deal with it because they are already at the place to eat, they're hungry, or they aren't the type of person to let the owner(s) know how they feel about the policy.

As a society we're almost forced to just deal with it. Why should I have to walk away from a restaurant just because someone feels the need to puff some dangerous chemicals into my lungs that I didn't ask for? I came to a restaurant to eat, not to smoke, if I wanted to do that I can smoke my cancer sticks in the privacy of my smoke filled private home. A 55/61 vote is very close and I would imagine this topic will come up many more times in my lifetime. I dream of the day that I can go to a restaurant of my choosing without having to worry about washing my clothes when I get home.

[RaleighRob]

Over the course of the past several months we have been to a few restaurants where smoke was so horrid in the atmosphere that we have made a huge fuss and vowed to management never to come back just because of the smoke. Unfortunately I believe that most people just deal with it because they are already at the place to eat, they're hungry, or they aren't the type of person to let the owner(s) know how they feel about the policy.

[Neo]

Unfortunately, I'm afraid that'll leave me with a diminishing list of dining options.

As it has done for us but since we typically only eat out on the weekends it isn't a huge problem. Luckily some of our favorite places have a no smoking policy but we end up eating at the same places over and over. There are a lot of non smoking establishments but I feel punished that we're not able to expand our reach and try other places just because they allow smoking.

A couple of months ago we took a day trip to the mountains and stopped in Gastonia for some breakfast at a place I remember going to as a kid. We were quite hungry and this was the only place I knew of that had breakfast (I do NOT do fast food joints like BK or McD's) and upon walking in the door were knocked down by smoke. I have no idea why we stuck around for a couple of minutes, I guess our hope was to get lucky and get a table furthest away from the smoking section. The problem was that there were probably 10 other people standing around waiting for a table, ALL of them were waiting for non-smoking. The smoking section was maybe twice as large as the non-smoking section and had several empty tables. After noticing the manager nearby I made a big stink about it (pun intended) and walked out without any food in my stomach. The funny thing is that others who didn't have the courage to do what I did walked out behind us because of the same reason. I certainly hope we taught the manager that smoking is not a draw but I doubt we did.

We will not be back and ever since we have completely banned all smoking restaurants unless the smoking section is completely separated from the non-smoking section. I want to hear one good reason why someone must whip out a cigarette at a restaurant instead of taking it outside. What advantage does it do anybody to smoke it? I understand smokers are afraid of losing their rights but I'm afraid I've already lost my right to be respected.

[Raintree21]

Do a search on Wikipedia for "smoking ban." About 2/3 of the way down is a section titled "Effects on Business" where it cites study after study that show businesses saw either no effect or actually saw an INCREASE in business. If NYC can do it, why can't we?

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

Do a search on Wikipedia for "smoking ban." About 2/3 of the way down is a section titled "Effects on Business" where it cites study after study that show businesses saw either no effect or actually saw an INCREASE in business. If NYC can do it, why can't we?

[RaleighRob]

^This is another big example of how in NC, even though the population and economies of the urban areas are certainly booming these days, the political clout in the state is still heavily in the rural areas.

Another good example is transportation funding---small towns nobody has ever heard of getting big new bypasses while the urban areas just get more and more congested.

The Legislature long ago enacted that crazy law that individual cities and counties could not enact smoking bans because they knew over time the urban and suburban folks would push to pass some. They got proactive for their tobacco buddies early on with this issue.

[Larryfla]

Because this is North Carolina and the tobacco lobby STILL holds a great deal of power in state politics. Even though tobacco isn't quite the king it used to be, it's still a big deal in the state...especially Down East, where the majority of the legislature's political power is concentrated. In other states, a city or county would be able to pass a local ordinance restricting smoking in public places. But in NC, no local government can enact any sort of no-smoking laws more restrictive than the STATE laws governing the subject. Mecklenburg wanted it. North Carolina said no.

[Delta_USAir]

I'm not a smoker, and I can't stand the smell of smoke, but that is a ridiculous "want" by the county.

If all the other minorities get what ever they want and tell everyone else how biggoted they are, you would think smokers would do the same.

It's one thing for a owner of a restaurant to ban smoking in thier restaurant, yet another for the government. I guess I'm not the one to complain seeing I care nothing of the minority, go strictly by my beliefs, and always vote agianst somthing that goes agianst my approval.

Maybe I should form a group, and we can go to a cancer walk, and smoke in thier faces.

{ Kind of like other minorities going to a religious event in DC exploiting thier beliefs blatantly}

I mean, I know I can go outside and smoke, but I just want the freedom of everyone else.

{Kind of like other minorites I know, figuratively speaking}

Maybe I should organize a parade, and get a non-smoking dog and put a cigarette in his mouth.

{ Kind of like other minority groups who forget the gender of a dog}

[monsoon]

^This is your last idiotic post here. I simply can't imagine anyone that would go and blow cigarette smoke in someone's face suffering from cancer. (of for that matter anyone's face)

[Larryfla]

I'm not a smoker, and I can't stand the smell of smoke, but that is a ridiculous "want" by the county.

If all the other minorities get what ever they want and tell everyone else how biggoted they are, you would think smokers would do the same.

It's one thing for a owner of a restaurant to ban smoking in thier restaurant, yet another for the government. I guess I'm not the one to complain seeing I care nothing of the minority, go strictly by my beliefs, and always vote agianst somthing that goes agianst my approval.

Maybe I should form a group, and we can go to a cancer walk, and smoke in thier faces.

{ Kind of like other minorities going to a religious event in DC exploiting thier beliefs blatantly}

I mean, I know I can go outside and smoke, but I just want the freedom of everyone else.

{Kind of like other minorites I know, figuratively speaking}

Maybe I should organize a parade, and get a non-smoking dog and put a cigarette in his mouth.

{ Kind of like other minority groups who forget the gender of a dog}

[TONYCLT]

As a former smoker I don't agree with the possible smoking ban, I think the restaurants should be the ones to decide if smoking is allowed or not. Hopefully if you smoke you can put them down for an hour or so while you eat just to be curtious to the non-smokers especially the children.

[karanas_mangi]

I believe that the issue that gets lost in this private business v. government regulation argument is the safety of the workers at these restaurants and bars. Under OSHA regulations it is a requirement that employers provide a safe working environment. Maybe there can be smoking and non-smoking restaurants/bars but there will still be workers subjected to the second-hand smoke on a daily and extended basis. The argument that workers "choose" where they work doesn't hold up either, in my opinion, and isn't sufficient when used for other workplace hazards: toxic fumes from tobacco just holds a sacred position in the minds of our state legislators.

As a former smoker I don't agree with the possible smoking ban, I think the restaurants should be the ones to decide if smoking is allowed or not. Hopefully if you smoke you can put them down for an hour or so while you eat just to be curtious to the non-smokers especially the children.

[Neo]

As a former smoker I don't agree with the possible smoking ban, I think the restaurants should be the ones to decide if smoking is allowed or not. Hopefully if you smoke you can put them down for an hour or so while you eat just to be curtious to the non-smokers especially the children.

Unfortunately this is going to require intervention by our government because countless smokers do not have the kind of courtesy it takes to not smoke around children, etc. If smokers en mass could be this moral and do the right thing then I could care less about having a ban on smoking in restaurants, but since they typically do not have the morals for this then I am all for a complete ban.

[dubone]

Would a decent compromise be to limit smoking to certain hours? I think that having non-smoking hours in restaurants and bars could both allow employees to select shifts that are compatible to their smoking preferences, as well as allow patrons to select when to go based on their preferences. Plus, since most people eat lunch and dinner during certain hours, those hours can be non-smoking hours to keep the majority of patrons safe (even from themselves).

It still needs to be legislated in order to provide an even playing field for the small businesses as well as a predictable schedule for consumers.

I think that is most palatable to most people than an outright ban. It is just like setting certain hours for alcohol, which people just consider a fair rule limiting that, rather than an outright prohibition.

[davidclt]

The real reason few bars will go non-smoking voluntarily is because there's good profit to be made in tobacco sales. Why would any business voluntarily give up an easy and lucrative way to increase the profit of their business? Follow the money.

[Raintree21]

The NC State Legislature approved a ban on smoking in all buildings owned or leased by the state and gave local governments the authority to do the same. Just awaiting the Governor's signature to become law.

[Spartan]

I thought that Charleston had enacted a local ordinance against smoking?

[Neo]

With the recent news of Phillip Morris closing their doors in Concord, I wonder how this will affect influence for the state in banning smoking?

[PlazaMidwoodGuy]

With the recent news of Phillip Morris closing their doors in Concord, I wonder how this will affect influence for the state in banning smoking?

[Rebelde]

I think restraurants should decide whether they want to ban smoking.

I personally hate everything about smoking, by the way.

[Justadude]

^ I tend to agree, there's no specific need for legislation on this issue. Neighborhood Theater recently went smoke-free to rave reviews, and I doubt they'll do anything but profit from that decision. I would prefer to leave this up to individual restaurants to decide, even though I'm not a smoker.