Despite the recent smoking ban legislation in Minnesota, some bars have fought the ban in a very creative way. There is a provision in the ban that allows for participants in theatrical productions to smoke in restaurants and bars. The bars are working around the legislation, legally, "by printing up playbills, encouraging customers to come in costume, and pronouncing them ‘actors’." (see the full article on TheWashingtonPost.com)
Again, this demonstrates that there is a segment of the population that looks forward to smoking in public and they will go out of their way to frequent establishments that cater to their wants. Those that prefer non-smoking restaurants and bars have demonstrated that there is also a market for their wants, as well. The local market has responded with a number of alternatives for smoke-haters — and I think that’s wonderful!
I applaud the efforts of the Smoking Resistance in Minnesota, and I hope that their results are instructive to the rest of the country doesn’t fall on deaf ears. Here is a quote from the article that demonstrates the desire for smoking establishments, and the harm that a smoking ban can do to the livelihood of anyone that gets in the way of the anti-smoking groups:
Proving anew there’s no business like show business, Anderson said her
theater-night receipts have averaged $2,000 _ up from $500 right after
the ban kicked in. Similarly, Bauman said revenue at The Rock dropped
off 30 percent after the ban took effect, then shot back up to normal
once the bar began allowing smoking again.
Here’s a message to the Virginia legislature regarding the *thankfully* failed smoking ban from this year and last year: Keep your mitts off! The free market is working in this case, and there is no need for legislative agendas/egos to get in the way of that.
So you don’t like smoke getting into your clothes?
-Neither do I, but if I want to go to a smoky bar then who are you to say that I can’t?
Protection for the employees?
-Then why isn’t air quality the issue instead of what people are legally consuming?
I don’t really like special interest groups (then again who does unless they agree with you?), but on this one I hope the smoking lobbyists keep fighting the good fight.
I don’t smoke, and neither does anyone in my immediate family. I don’t encourage smoking, but dammit it’s a perfectly legal activity. If you can’t stand the thought of anyone smoking, then go for a full prohibition. At least then you’re being honest. (Not that I think prohibition would work, but it would be funny to see it tried.)
Thanks to Vivian J. Post’s blog for the heads up on the article!
