MAY 21, 2009 ISSUE
N.C. General Assembly Passes HB 2 Prohibit Smoking in Certain Places
Restaurants and Bars to be Smoke-Free by January 2, 2010
Eric Larson, manager and co-owner of Murphy’s Restaurant in Boone, is looking forward to the statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants because he has heard from patrons that it might increase business. “As far as business is concerned, it doesn’t make me nervous. We’re just going to have to approach it from a different angle,” said Dallas Vaught, manager at Macado’s in Boone, referring to the recent passing of House Bill 2, Prohibit Smoking in Certain Public Places.
The bill passed its final vote in the General Assembly on May 13 by the narrow margin of 62 to 56. On Tuesday, May 19, Gov. Bev Perdue signed the indoor smoking ban into law.
“It’s a huge marker in our state that we’re serious about having a healthy North Carolina, and that we’ll go to all means to make that happen,” Perdue said. “My hat’s off to the General Assembly. I have never been as proud of a body in my entire life.”
North Carolina restaurant and bar owners now have until January 2, 2010 to make any necessary adjustments in their business routine. From then on the law will be official.
“Personally, as a non-smoker, I’m looking forward to it,” said Eric Larson, manager and co-owner of Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub in Boone.
“It may affect us a little, business-wise,” Larson said, “but smelling other people’s smoke gets a little old after 22 years. So mostly, it’s a good thing.”
Larson even thought that they might see an up swing in customer turnout as a result of the new law. He has been told many times by patrons that they might come more often if his establishment “wasn’t so smoky.”
The possibility of more business due to no smoke is something that Vaught mentioned as well.
“It’s really about conscience. So many people nowadays are focused on better health for themselves, their loved ones and for the environment that this new law could get people who didn’t want to go out before because of the smoke excited about going out again,” he said.
Of course, in a situation like this, not everyone agrees.
“I think it is a good thing to be worried about the health of families and children,” said one local resident who wished to remain unnamed, “but what is wrong with the way things are now? The bars don’t allow smoking until about 10:00 p.m. or so and then, if you go out after then, you know that there will be smoking there.”
Lacy Nichols, a waitress working at Macado’s and a non-smoker, agreed to a certain extent.
“I’ve accepted smoking as part of the job. It comes with the territory of being a waitress and I think most people understand and accept that,” she said.
Nichols did admit, however, that, after the new law is passed, “It will be nice to not go home smelling like an ashtray.”
Workers such as Nichols are at the heart of the push for the bill to be signed into law. The North Carolina Alliance for Health, the advocacy group at the center of the struggle for HB 2, says on its website that the passing of the bill is part of “the fight to protect all workers, regardless of age or place of employment, from the detrimental health effects of secondhand smoke.”
They also point out that while this bill doesn’t protect all North Carolina employees from the imposition of cigarette smoke and other forms of tobacco inhalants, HB 2 does authorize some expansion of local control allowing local governments to pass ordinances that restrict smoking in other public places.
Though they are excited for their employees who don’t smoke, Vaught and Larson are also concerned for their other employees, the ones who do. Both noted the fact that, as managers of bars, most of their employees are smokers themselves and they expressed concern for how the new law might affect them and their ability to smoke while on the job.
“We used to have a table set up for employees who smoke,” said Larson, “but mostly they just step out back for a minute.”
He noted that the law would probably not prevent them from doing that. And the bill does include a clause that states that the new legislation will only be applied to “enclosed areas.” An enclosed area, as defined in the bill, is any place that has a roof and walls of any kind. So employees who need a smoke break will still have that right, as long as they step outside.
Most of the people asked didn’t believe that the bill would have much of a negative affect at all on business.
“We may have to close down for a few days prior to January 2 to clean the place and get the smoke smell out but mostly, I’m not worried about it,” said Larson.
Nichols wondered, “What are people going to do, stop going out to eat?”
Vaught agreed, but he also pointed out that people who usually stay for some time in the bar after eating may decide to leave early once they get tired of going outside to smoke. He countered that the rise in non-smoking patrons might balance that out.
“Either way, we want to be as respectful and accommodating as we can to all of our customers and we’ll continue to try and do that as best we can under the regulations of the new law,” said Vaught.
The N.C. Alliance for Health states on its website, “The completion of action around HB 2 in the General Assembly is historic for a tobacco state like North Carolina and marks a significant accomplishment for the members and partners of the N.C. Alliance for Health.
The Alliance’s work will not be done until all N.C. workers are protected from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.”
As stated on their website, the mission of the N.C. Alliance for Health is “to improve the health of North Carolinians by advocating policies that promote wellness and reduce the impact of tobacco use and obesity.”
For more information on House Bill 2, the NC Alliance for Health or to read the bill click to www.ncallianceforhealth.org.
Community Interest
News & Notes
Events
Arts & Entertainment
