New Orleans' Bars Voluntarily Ban Smoking

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New Orleans' Bars Voluntarily Ban Smoking
January 20, 2011
Lauren Finnegan
Yahoo! News

COMMENTARY | It use to be that if you walked into a bar or decided to go for a night of gambling in the casinos, there was one thing that you could count on, and that is that you would smell like an ashtray by the time you exited. Smoking in bars was a given, and as more and more states are transitioning to smoke free, smokers are getting increasingly upset. But with the recent bill to ban smoking in bars and casinos defeated, bar owners are voluntarily banning smoking all by themselves.
Now, many New Orleans bar owners are taking the measure into their own hands by banning smoking in their establishments all on their own. The very popular d.b.a. bar on Frenchmen street has banned smoking since the start of the New Year. Tom Thayer, a manager and partner of the bar said that they are just trying to protect their workers and their patrons from health problems of second hand smoke. Some casinos are also starting to follow suit. The new hotel that will be an expansion of the Coushatta Casino will also be non-smoking. Because there is an open-container policy in New Orleans, smokers who have to go outside would be able to bring their drinks with them, bar owners are hopeful this will help them keep their smoking business.
Altogether, about 40 bars in New Orleans have now banned smoking, and with this trend, bar owners who have had their health affected by this policy are pushing for lawmakers to reconsider the ban on smoking in bars and casinos. People want to be able to enjoy the jazz music and the culture of New Orleans, and Louisiana in general, without having to put their health at risk. Bar tenders and waitresses also want to be able to make a living without having to worry about their health.
But smokers are feeling pushed out of every public place, and with bars and casinos possibly next, some smokers are getting nervous. When out for a night with my husband, many smokers became angry when they found out that a local bar in our area no longer allowed smoking. The smokers stormed out after making it clear that they wouldn't be back. The threat of less business during this recession has many businesses worrying about their ability to survive with a smoking ban. So, really, these owners are going to have to choose between their business and their health.
Smoking is a practice that will not only affect the health of the smoker, but of everybody around them as well, so both patrons and workers in these bars and casinos are also feeling the negative effects. People shouldn't have to put their health at risk just to enjoy the unique atmosphere of New Orleans bars, and smokers should be sensitive to that fact. People who are victims of secondhand smoke don't chose to partake in the risky behavior of smoking, and so they shouldn't be forced to chose between going out and enjoying a night in the great city of New Orleans or ruining their health.