Statewide Smoking Ban Hurting Liquor and Food Sales?

[Rural King]

The Jackson Sun today was reporting that area restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages were seeing a decline in both drink and food sales. Most of the restaurants cited where mid-grade "liquor-by the drink" sit-down/bar restuarants such as Redbones (Cajun), Barley's (Pizza), etc. Redbones reported a 4% decrease in alcohol sales with a 20% reduction in food - which seems considerable for what is a pretty well ran and high quality mid-grade restuarant IMO.

Question: Has anyone seen or heard any other reports of the effects of the statewide smoking ban on restaurants in other parts of the state? What do you think of the ban? Is it good overall, or is it going to lead to some businesses failing if they can't afford to go 21 and up?

I am not exactly a fan of this extent of regulation of private business (even as a non-smoker) - and at the very least it should be 18 and up to maintain smoking status as that's the legal smoking age. Also, if the argument is that it has to do with employee safety then its awfully contradictative to allow an exemption at all.

Smoking and non-smoking sections seemed to work fine for years as well IMO.

[tennreb]

The Jackson Sun today was reporting that area restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages were seeing a decline in both drink and food sales. Most of the restaurants cited where mid-grade "liquor-by the drink" sit-down/bar restuarants such as Redbones (Cajun), Barley's (Pizza), etc. Redbones reported a 4% decrease in alcohol sales with a 20% reduction in food - which seems considerable for what is a pretty well ran and high quality mid-grade restuarant IMO.

Question: Has anyone seen or heard any other reports of the effects of the statewide smoking ban on restaurants in other parts of the state? What do you think of the ban? Is it good overall, or is it going to lead to some businesses failing if they can't afford to go 21 and up?

I am not exactly a fan of this extent of regulation of private business (even as a non-smoker) - and at the very least it should be 18 and up to maintain smoking status as that's the legal smoking age. Also, if the argument is that it has to do with employee safety then its awfully contradictative to allow an exemption at all.

Smoking and non-smoking sections seemed to work fine for years as well IMO.

[nashvol85]

I am a non smoker, but I am very strongly opposed to forcing businesses to not allow smoking indoors. I do not enjoy a smoky bar or atmosphere, but I think that it should be up to the individual businesses to allow or ban smoking. Smoking is legal!

It would be as if the state banned drinking in restaurants and sporting events or any other public place, but allowed the sale of alcohol.

I question the lawfulness of banning the use of a legal product on private property.

[Raintree21]

I wonder how scientific that "study" was. From what I've read, most towns that ban smoking see sales either stay the same or actually increase.

[Rural King]

Well it was just a report from specific businesses on the effects they were seeing on their sales and customer base - nothing scientific about it.

Since this article Redbones has went "21 and up" as have a multitude of other businesses, which is something I would not think they would do if the new smoking ban was not hurting their bottom lines. I still go to Redbones....but now I have to sit in a crowded smoke filled establishment.....so has the law helped the health of non-smokers who stay loyal to these establishments?