Smoking Ban has Little Impact on Local Businesses

Joyelle Freeman
jf449905@ohio.edu

It has been one year since theOhio's statewide smoking ban, which prohibits smoking in public places and places of employment, went into effect. Ohio smokers are still allowed to smoke, as long as they do so outside. Businesses and organizations also must post No Smoking signs and remove ashtrays and other smoking containers.

For businesses, the first violation will result in a warning letter and fines will be given for subsequent violations.



Local Impact
Most local bars and restaurants seem to be running business as usual, according to one bar owner. Jackie O's Pub and Brewery, located on 24 West Union Street, has not seen a decline in revenue. Owner Jackie O, who is a smoker, says she did not mind building the patio for smokers "because it [smoking] does affect everybody."


Bar owner Jackie O says the patio keeps the smokers happy and keeps her bar clean.



Jackie O says while all of her customers are currently in compliance with the smoking ban, during "winter I will hear more complaints about it."


Jackie O says her smoking customers will most likely want to smoke inside during the winter.

Smokers
As for now, those who smoke say they do not mind stepping outside. Coldstone Creamery employee and smoker Tony Bock says his job is a smoke-free environment, but "it doesn't bother [him] at all" to have to smoke outside.


Smoker Tony Bock says smoking outside is not a problem.

Non-Smokers
Those who do not smoke really enjoy the smoking ban. Ohio University student Sean English says he "doesn't smoke so he likes it a lot."


Non-smoker Sean English enjoys his time at the bars much better without all of the smoking.

Physical Effects of Smoking
Quit-smoking-stop.com gives several ways smoking can have detrimental effects on your health including the following:

Smoking causes approximately one in five deaths from heart disease.

The mixture of nicotine and carbon monoxide in each cigarette you
smoke temporarily increases your heart rate and blood pressure

Tar coats your lungs like soot and causes cancer. A 20 cigarette-a-day smoker breathes in up to a full cup (210 g) of tar in a year.

Carbon monoxide leaves little oxygen in your muscles, brain and body tissue,
making your whole body and especially your heart work harder. Over time, this lets less air into your lungs.

Lung cancer

Heart disease

Strokes

Heart attack