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Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | My home state of New Jersey is about to pass an indoor smoking ban. This includes bars and restaurants with the exception of cigar bars and casinos. I have mixed feelings about this ban because I'm worried that bars may take a financial hit which would make it tougher to get gigs. On the other hand, it would be nice to not have to deal with all of the smoke when I'm trying to sing for 3 or 4 hours. I was curious as to what impact (if any), the smoking ban has had in other states. |
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Posts: 6194
Location: Phoenix AZ | They did this in Tempe AZ last year and I think the impact is very small. From what I have seen, when people smoke less they tend to drink more. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | At gigs, I've always found that when people have a cigarette in their mouths, they're more prone to shut up and listen . . . .
. . . it would be nice though to not have to go to the car wash the morning after every gig t'get the schtank outta my car . . . |
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January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
At gigs, I've always found that when people have a cigarette in their mouths, they're more prone to shut up and listen . . . .
. . . it would be nice though to not have to go to the car wash the morning after every gig t'get the schtank outta my car . . . After my gig Saturday, I had to leave my clothes in the garage, and I had to air out my guitar cases after spraying them with fabreeze (sp) It was disgusting. Normally, I can deal with the smoke, but this was incredible. My guitars still smell like smoke. |
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Posts: 4389
Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | We've had this for a couple years in NYC. I can't say how it affected business, but I remember one still humid august night walking down Bleeker and all the smokers were in the street and the street was full of smoke. Like a big bowl of smoke. It was pretty cool. It actually is a lot more bearable to be in a bar now. |
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November 2005
Posts: 111
Location: Southern California | California has had a "no smoking in bars" law since at least 2000, maybe longer. I don't remember exactly when it started. I do remember that there was a huge hue and cry that it was going to kill business, but it didn't. In fact, after an initial blip, business actually got stronger in a lot of places. No one likes getting immersed in smoke. I've even had smokers tell me it was relief to spend an evening in a club and not have your clothes reek so bad of cigarette smoke that you have to change out of them in the garage when you got home.
I don't think this will hurt your chances of landing gigs, especially once the law has had a chance to settle in and have people get used to it. I can tell you for a fact that every musician I know, smoker or non, likes this law: your clothes, instrument cases, instruments, hair, etc. don't smell like an ashtray at the end of the night... and it's a whole lot easier on your voice, too! :) |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | We'll probably see a big influx of "CigarBars" opening up . . . |
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November 2003
Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I stopped going to places that allow smoking indoors long ago. I would be more likely to show up at bars in States with smoking bans...
Wishful thinking here in tobacco country where your lucky even to find a non smoking section... |
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Posts: 1116
Location: Keller, TX | I would love for Texas to do this. Lived in Utah for awhile. There it was "no-smoking or outside". I don't gig but at restaurants, I loved not having to cough out the smoke even though I am in the no-smoking section. |
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Posts: 111
Location: Southern California | Jeff - I'm not sure where you're at, but believe it or not, they have a strong anti-smoking lobby in Charlotte NC, right in the middle of tobbacco country. It's been awhile since I was there,and somehow I doubt they've adopted smoke-free bars in the interim (I doubt it), but I do know they are required to have smoking and non-smoking sections in restaurants like it used to be here in CA. Doesn't really work unless the rooms are physicaly separate, but the fact that they required it anywhere in NC always surprised me. |
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May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | If "they" (the anti-smoking, tree-hugging, do-gooding-for-you-because-you're-too-fscking-stoopeed-to-do-it-for-yourself lobby) really wanted to put a crimp in the tobacco lifestyle, they'd lobby the fsck out of Congress to stop subsidizing tobacco farmers and tobacco companies.
Tobacco Subsidies
Yeah, it's only 1/2 a billion over ten years, but still...either you're against the evils of tobacco or you're not.
;)
(and no, I don't smoke..well, ok, the occassional cigar, but that's it) |
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Location: NJ | they tried to ban smoking even outside in cherry hill nj.
sometimes you just have to let people do what they want and have natural selection rule. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | MadDog,
Of course, I'm exagerrating slightly...
But bars do not have smoking sections around here and I went to breakfast at Wynns Diner on Main St. in Front Royal a while back... the resturant (using the term loosely) is long and narrow, one room, and the non-smoking section was the two tables on either side of the front door. I felt like I needed a rebreather when I walked in... |
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Posts: 111
Location: Southern California | Jeff -
What you describe doesn't surprise me. Lots of the South seems to be well behind the rest of the country in a lot of things. Sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes not. Don't know why it's like that, though. Tradition? Stubborness? Both?
On the other hand, the PC crowd and the Health Nazis go nuts out here. Even to a non-smoker like me, they seem obsessed in conducting a witch hunt to stamp out smoking. If they succeed, two things will happen: first, they'll realize they just killed a cash cow of taxes that pays for a lot of their social programs (which is why they'll never really kill it, the governement won't let 'em), and two, if they do succeed, they'll just be emboldened to after another target. How about a "fat tax" on Big Macs? (Don't laugh... they just might try it.) |
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Posts: 3618
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | I was living in Jacksonville, NC back when they enacted a smoking ban in public places. They had the same outcry from bar owners that they would lose business. Well as others here have stated, no loss in business. As a matter-of-fact, business increased as people were finally able to take their families out to smoke-free environments.
Prior to the ban, I had smokers sit down at tables next to my family and light up. With three of the kids suffering from asthema, it would really tick me off, and I'd end up arguing with these inconsiderate people about letting us have the freedom to breathe. |
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Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Have you ever seen "Big Trouble"?. Where Dennis Farina takes the cigar out of the "client from hell"s mouth in the restaurant and puts it out in his brandy.
Client From Hell: I hope you realize you've just committed assault.
Farina : I know, I know. Time was, you actually had to hit somebody. |
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Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | The smoking ban issue has been on a slow boil here in Omaha for a couple of years. No ban yet, but it is probably just a matter of time.
From what I can tell, it is probably revenue neutral to bar owners. Makes me wonder why more bars don't try it on a voluntary basis.
When you think about it, smoking indoors is incredibly rude. Steve Martin had that bit back in the '70's: "Mind if I smoke? Why no, do you mind if I fart?". Funny, but think about it...what if you walked right up to someone in a bar and let one rip. Why is that rude, but smoking isn't?
Jeff |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Omaha:
what if you walked right up to someone in a bar and let one rip. I make it a point... |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | In Virginia, that's the "Cover Charge" . . . |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | A smoking section in a club or restaurant seems to be like the peeing corner of the pool. Just don't allow it at all inside and let that be that. It won't hurt business. |
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Posts: 11039
Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub |  |
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November 2005
Posts: 111
Location: Southern California | Originally posted by Omaha:
what if you walked right up to someone in a bar and let one rip.
Originally posted by Cliff:
In Virginia, that's the "Cover Charge" . . . |
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Posts: 12750
Location: Boise, Idaho | Next to the feedlot, nobody notices. |
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January 2004
Posts: 1225
Location: Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey | Originally posted by cliff:
We'll probably see a big influx of "CigarBars" opening up . . . That's what I thought would happen too, but the Cigar bars had to be "grandfathered" in. They are not allowing new ones. |
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March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Then I guess that it was a smart idea on the part of Adam's to make it a CigarBar when they did . . .
I heard a tiny little blip on the radio news and nothing more, so I know absolutely NONE of the "details" . . .
When is this taking effect?
Is cigarette smoking gonna be allowed in CigarBars? |
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NJ Indoor Smoking Ban
