Smoking in Restaurants. Your preference?

[piglet too]

Here in Illinois, we will be smoke-free as of the New Year. I for one am really looking forward to it. My in-laws on the other hand moan and groan about how it is not fair to them and other smokers. (My FIL smoke 4-5 packs a day!!)

A few local towns near us are already non-smoking and I love going out to eat there. It is so nice to not have to smell the smoke or even worse, worry about smelling like smoke when we leave. I have heard that at first, some businesses suffered. There is one pizza place however that said that already for the year, they are up $70,000 in sales, so it is not hurting them at all.

 

[Rence]

I really can't stand smoking. I live in Wisconsin where smoking in restaurants is still allowed. I hadn't really specifically thought about it before but I do have my permissible restaurants and the restaurantst that I won't eat at.

The restaurants that I patronize are either all non-smoking or have well segregated smoking and non-smoking sections - seperate rooms, some type of barrier between them etc.

If I walk into a restaurant and there is no seperation - this table is non-smoking and the one right next to it is smoking - I tend to leave and never come back. That type of non-smoking section is pointless.

 

[minnie56]

ALL restaurants here are NON-smoking...just the way I like it!!! Just back from Europe..and I truly had forgotten how horrible it was sitting nearby a smoker!

 

[aprilgail2]

I am surprised to hear that there are even places that still allow smoking in a restaurant! I would never go to a restaurant where they allow smoking while you are trying to eat your food. It would certainly be good for hte diet though, I would be so repulsed by the stench in there that I wouldn't be able to eat anything!

 

[sassyat30]

I would much prefer a totally non smoking restaurant.

Me too.

I am so happy two nearby towns went totally smoke-free!! Restaurants AND bars!!

 

[suzimar57]

we'll only be eating in a restaurant if it's NON-SMOKING

 

[fraggle551]

NY has completely smoke free restaurants. Its great. Cigarette smoke triggers my asthma, and if I am in another state and they have smoking in the restaurant im miserable. Im SO happy that I don't have to deal with that here!

 

[crz4mm2]

I'd rather eat in a non-smoking restaurant. TOtally NON smoking.
Illinois is non smoking after the first of the year. I am stoked
My brother is a bartender... He is not so thrilled. Although a non-smoker, he feels it will have a huge impact on their business and that they will be held responsible for the idiots that choose to smoke just outside the door....

 

[CEDmom]

Would you rather eat in a restaurant that is smoking AND non-smoking or just a smoking restaurant.

Do you think that a totally non-smoking restaurant would thrive as well as a both smoking and non-smoking restaurant?
Any stories?

They're thriving here in NJ . It's wonderful not to have to be eating with smoke blowing around. No matter how segregated the smoking section is in a restaurant the smoke still manages to make its way over to the non-smoking section.

 

[azgal81]

Non smoking you have to love the smoke free states!

 

[LaraK]

My DH and I were just commenting on Friday night that we can't wait for the smoking ban to move to all restraunts, including the bar area. I think we're only a few months away in Maryland. We were in the "non-smoking" section and both of us commented on how much our clothes smelled when we got home.

 

[Planogirl]

I personally couldn't care less if people smoke in restaurants or not. I figure I'm not in a restaurant long enough for it to matter and smoke never has bothered me.

I can understand being bothered if someone is allergic however.

 

[dcentity2000]

It's illegal here - one may not smoke in any enclosed public space, such as libraries, restaurants and so on.



Rich::

 

[Lisa_M]

I would prefer to eat in a completely non-smoking restaurant. Prior to living in PA, I lived in NY when the smoking ban came about. It was so nice to go out to a restaurant or a bar and not have to come home stinking like an ashtray. I absolutely would not eat in a smoking restaurant at all. Here in PA there is still smoking in restaurants and it doesn't bother me as long as the section isn't close to where you wait for a table and isn't close to where I am sitting.

I don't think non-smoking establishments have had any problems with business since the ban.

 

[Kath2003]

No option here - all public places (bars, malls, clubs, restaurants etc.) are non-smoking by law.

I was in Germany last week where smoking is much much more common and let me tell you, the difference was both noticeable and disgusting.

 

[tink_n_pooh]

I try to visit only NON smoking establisments

We live right on the NJ/NY/PA border and only PA still allows smoking in bars and restaurants. There are a few really good places in PA but we don't go anymore because of the smoke

 

[JunieJay]

Even when I was a smoker, I didn't smoke in restaurants. Thats just gross.

Smoking in a bar is another story....around here smoking has been banned in bars - its so strange to go into one and not smell smoke! I was a bartender for years (and a social smoker for most of my adult life until I quit 5 years ago) and I'd always come home with my clothes literally reeking of stale smoke. I never minded (and still don't) the smell of a freshly lit cigarette, but smoke that has lingered and settled into your clothes is not a pleasant smell! I'm sure the bartenders of today's world certainly enjoy the no smoking laws!

 

[alizesmom]

Being the mom of one (soon to be two) child with a tracheotomy, I'll vote for nonsmoking. The problem is that the smokers do find a way around it. They gather around the door before they go in. Entering through the smoke screen is downright dangerous for my family. Karen

 

[Kath2003]

Being the mom of one (soon to be two) child with a tracheotomy, I'll vote for nonsmoking. The problem is that the smokers do find a way around it. They gather around the door before they go in. Entering through the smoke screen is downright dangerous for my family. Karen

I don't know if it's UK law or not but I don't think I've seen a single restaurants or bar without a sign saying the smoking isn't permitted within x-metres of the entrance/exit doors. In most places it's 3-5 metres - solves the "crowd of smokers around the door" issue....

 

[Camicar]

Around here, it is illegal to smoke in restaurants (and bars in the nearby large city). I do not know of any restaurant that has smoking in all of the premises and if there was one, I would not eat there or get take out from there (since the bag and food would stink). If there were a restaurant with a smoking section, I would prefer to go to another restaurant that is completely non-smoking.