On the heels of the Philadelphia City Council’s new bill banning smoking in public workplaces, including bars and restaurants, people are freaking out. The percentage of Philly voters who identify themselves as libertarians has just increased tenfold.
My message to this prematurely wrinkled, scratchy-voiced contingent of would-be cons and wishful femme-fatales is simple: relax, people.
I left New York before the smoking ban took effect there, though I have returned since as both a smoker and a non-smoker. The truth is that once you get used to the idea, you hardly notice the ban: the smokers still smoke, only after taking fifteen steps out the door. The non-smokers still don’t smoke; they just smell better afterwards.
Despite my approval of the smoking ban, I do concede that some establishments lose an essential part of their identity when the clouds of smoke lift. One of my favorite bars in New York, for instance, Jimmy’s Corner — a midtown dive bar that is a haven for cast-outs from the boxing world — was never the same after the ban. It just felt too clean.
Philadelphia’s new law exempts “neighborhood bars” — defined as establishments that make more than 90% of their income from the sale of alcohol — from the ban. This, I think, is a great compromise — the places that make Philly the dirty town that it is will not lose their atmosphere. And while we’re sure to see a host of creative accounting changes in response to the law (burgers on the house!), it sounds like most bars in Philly will now be smoke-free.
The change will be painful for a lot of people. But, in the end, you’ve got to admit that a collection of over 4,000 chemicals, rolled up and sold to you by a group of unscrupulous crooks, is not worthy of your mournful tears.
Just huff some nicotine nasal spray along with me and we’ll all be fine.
UPDATE: My understanding is that “neighborhood bar” is defined by the percentage of money the bar makes on food vs. alcohol. At least ninety percent of the income has to come from alcohol for a bar to be exempt from the new regulations.
In fact, I think that the free burgers mentioned above might be one of the biggest, though most unintentional, effects of the law. I think we’ll see a fair number of bars stop selling food — or start giving it away for free — so that they can meet the exemption.
One thing they might do, if they want to keep smoking, is to offer lots of specials — like, “buy a beer for eight dollars and get a free burger and fries along with it!”
7 Comments on "Relax, Smoky - You’re Going to Be Okay"
albert:
An interesting article in the NYT Magazine about how a top exec of Altria, aka Philip Morris, is working for FDA regulation of cigarettes.
jmorrison:
I live in New York, am a smoker, and my serious bar hopping just happened to come to end the same year the smoking ban went into effect. At first it was -very- hard to get used to. Try ordering a Bushmills on the rocks and NOT light up a smoke after the first swallow. Nearly impossible. Now that I hardly ever go to bars the ban bothers me not at all.
Matt:
I hear you, but it can be done. If you drank that Irish whiskey in Ireland, you’d have to do so in a non-smoking bar. Of course, you could travel to the North, where it’s still legal to smoke in bars, but even then you’d only have one more year.
upyernoz:
do you have any idea if tangier qualifies for the “neighborhood bar” exception?
there are a bunch of DLers who don’t like coming (or only come in the summer) because the place gets too smokey. on the other hand, there are quite a few smokers who are DL regulars. i’m just curious what will happen when this law goes into effect
Matt:
I think that Tangier will become non-smoking, Noz — see the update above.
Josh:
Doesn’t a liquor license in PA require the sale of food? I know the Dive has Hot Pockets for that reason.
Another issue you don’t mention is that the smoking ban hasn’t hurt NYC economically. There are quite a few nights of the week when I would like to go out for a drink but the idea of sitting in a smoke filled room turns me off. Lose a few smokers, gain plenty of non-smokers.
Matt:
Thanks a lot Josh — you just forced me to wade through a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo on the PLCB website. Not fun.
As far as I can tell — and I welcome corrections from those with more knowledge or patience than I possess — bars aren’t required to sell food in order to obtain a license (though hot pockets offer their own rewards). Seems like there are different types of licences for hotels, bars, clubs, etc. To have a restaurant license, you need to have food. But for a bar? I don’t think so.
That’s my take on it, but keep in mind that I can hardly see straight at this point.
I haven’t seen any data on New York, but I’d find it hard to believe that the ban there has had a measurable impact on business, one way or the other.
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