How long have businesses banned smoking inside and who was started laws like this?
80007
A business banning smoking has nothing to do with a law. Some states have made laws outlawing smoking in businesses across the board, but otherwise, The business has a right to set its own standards on its property.  Now, laws banning smoking in government (federal and state) buildings are another matter.
942181
The government will always controll us-there's no getting away from that.  I have been living in scotland for 3 months now, and have been working in a pub for the duration, and i've yet to make up my mind whether its a good thing or not.  As a non smoker, i can see the benifits of not stinking of smoke or inhaling second hand smoke all night.  However on the flip side, if i really hated stinking of ciggeretts and inhaling second hand smoke, i wouldn't work in a smokey enviroment, and i would stay away from similar enviroments.  What i DON'T think is a good thing is crowds of 20 to 30 people gathering outside a pub/club for a smoke-in the pouring rain. I think proper ventilation and/or a beer garden.  They are fantastic. especially with BBQs.
845829
I am a smoker,but I don't mind the bans.I smoke outside at home because of my kids,and I did it most of the time even before I had kids.I don't like to smell smoke when I'm not smoking.However,I think banning smoking in bars is just crazy.I mean,drinking and smoking just go together,and if you don't want to be around the smoke,you can always stay home or go to a restaurant.Same with casinos.
870228
Private clubs ARE exempt from this law; unfortunately, they have to operate as non-profits which you will NOT be able to do with your bar. There are very few loopholes if you read the full text (available at http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/11/07/oh/state/issue/5/). \n\nYour best bet is going to be to open up (or add on, if you have to) an outdoor patio that meets the requirements of this stupid law, and get a nice outdoor heater or two for winter. Maybe put up a roof with a tv or speakers (depending on your gimmick - tv if you broadcast sports games, speakers if you've got live music, you can pump it outside.) It will cost a little money initially but I bet you'll bring in more business if you have a somewhat comfortable and entertaining place for the smokers year-round.\n\nTo the last person: this new law goes beyond smoking. It's telling business owners how to run their personal businesses. It is NOT illegal to smoke. If most people don't want to be in a smoky bar, let them vote with their feet and not go there. I live in Ohio and there are bars near me that are non-smoking by the owner's choice. Some restaurants are completely non-smoking - owner's choice. If you don't like seeing people drinking, respond by not hanging out in bars - NOT by banning alcohol.\n\n(Voted against issue 5, needless to say!!)
55466
While it is true that some bars are using the “membership” idea to get around the no smoking laws, there is another legal loophole.  The law allows bartenders that own their own bar and don’t have any other employees to allow smoking in their bars if they so choose.  This is how some bar allow smoking  indoors.
784205
If it is anything like the law here in Massachusetts, It SUCKS. It is another step in our DICTATORSHIP government in becoming COMMUNIST. Please don't misunderstand me. To ban smoking in a restaurant is one thing. I say this as smoking CAN affect the taste of food and for a NON-smoker to have to sit there and try to enjoy a meal and be forced to breath the smoke from my cigar, well it isn't right. BUT Cigaretts and Cigars, and Pipes go with coffee or drinks. And to tell a person YOU can't SMOKE when you are in this bar is NOT RIGHT. I say put this question on a ballot and let the voters decide. WE the PEOPLE, should be able to say WE want smoking or WE don't want smoking. If WE the people decide what WE want or don't want then I could except the law if it passed. BUT for our DICTATORSHIP government to just make these laws and FORCE them down OUR throats I say again it is WRONG. Oh I don't even want to hear that the BAR-tender is being forced to breath second hand smoke. Thats is a BIG CROCK of chit. I mean if you are bothered by fire, then why would you become a fire-man. If you are bothered by guns, then why would you become a police man. The same applys to bar tending. If you are bothered by second hand smoke WHY become a bar tender? Sorry to have run off so long but this issue goes right up my backside.
610849
All workplaces are required to be smokefree, except for bars, bar sections of restaurants, tobacco retailers, bowling centers, and bingo halls.\n\nThe stricter laws in Corvallis, Eugene, and Multnomah County still apply in those locales.
1059719
Positive:  Don't have to smell stinch of rude smokers polluting the air or have people bumping into you with lit cigarettes.  Smokers don't linger around in IHOP and other busy restaurants while others are waiting to eat.\n\nNegative:  Have to hear the smokers whine about their rights to smoke in public.  Bar owners may lose business because smokers boycott their establishments when they find out smoking is banned.
708701
There are a whole bunch of laws that are set by people who don't partake of the activity they wish to regulate.\n\nGet used to the no smoking thing. It's everywhere.
254648
As early as in 1761, Dr. John Hill, a London physician, had recorded an early observation linking tobacco (specifically, snuff) and cancer. \nIn his analysis, “Cautions Against the Immoderate Use of Snuff,” he said that he discovered lumps on the lungs of frequent snuff takers. \nHope this helps
1096946
way too far! businesses are going to suffer from these foolish laws. I say to people that don't smoke, just stay away from us and don't breath it. We don't blow the crap on them or anyhting.\nOh yeh, what about drinking in public, is that alright to have your child exposed to useless drunks, our governement is a bunch of a**wipes!
231379
These states ban smoking in restaurants and bars: Calfornia, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey (casinos exempted), Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. Montana banned smoking in restaurants - bars are exempt till 2009. South Dakota had a ban - status unknown.
740868
Boy this forum just got polluted by anti-smokers, offering "words of encouragement", but they are just veiled statements of their preference.\n\nBar business really does hurt when bans are forced and nonsmoking is not the choice of the owner. Owners do make choices to be nonsmoking when they know their clientele demands it. It just depends on your clientele. However, at this time, there is NO CHOICE for the private business owner in this land of supposed liberty.\n\n"Studies" showing business improvement when a ban is FORCED on a business are full of cherry picked data including everything from CARRY OUT receipts to McDonald's to 5 star restaurants. There has never been a study for stand alone bars.\n\nSmokefree lobbyists offer hollow promises of "business improvement", but that is all they are. Promises. Columbus bars have taken such a hit and made many cutbacks including reduced hours and waitstaff, cutting out live entertainment, etc.. to just survive.\n\nColumbus bars also immediately built patios.What does that tell you? The clientele they want to keep INCLUDE the smokers. However, smokers resent having to go outside in the cold and being treated like some neo Jim Crow experiment and generally do not patronize bars in the winter months.\n\nIf you serve food, you may be able to salvage something concerning all of this.\n\nI am SO sorry I cannot be more positive about this, especially since you seem like a very nice person who is new to the bar business. I simply cannot and will not sugar coat the situation, though as that would not be kind either.\n\nI have seen my business drop ever since the Columbus ban went into effect, it was immediate and it has not recovered. I took my bands out of town and did well in the bars, but now that option looks very bleak also.\n\nYou will have to be creative on this one until another repeal comes up, just as I was forced to do and will have to think through yet another plan with this statewide antismoking wrench thrown in the mix. \n\nPerhaps you should consider even "going underground". The reason why not many bars have closed in Columbus is many are not following the ban and are just paying the fines. I am sure Smokefree Ohio being the fanatics they are have put in some stiffer fines knowing that a good deal of Columbus bars told Smokefree Columbus to rightfully go directly to hell.\n\nThe ones that have closed generally do not make the local papers as the media is biased toward the antismoking side.\n\nBars must join together again to get some exemptions. Don't worry antis, you will have many smokefree choices as you do now with a partial repeal of this draconian law. Forcing your will on ALL the businesses in Ohio was not wanted and was not appreciated.\n\nI hope you were aware before of this possibility of Issue 5 passing and promoted Issue 4. If not, please be informed when the next repeal vote comes up. It is your business.\nI am not assuming you didn't know, but I have run into bar owners and bowling alley owners in different areas of the state that ignored this thinking it could never happen.\n\nIt did, but with only 8%+ of the votes needed to pass. Plus the election turnout wasn't 100%. There is still hope. Get busy, talk to your alcohol vendors and see if they have a plan in place yet to help you weather the storm until Ohio wakes up and says "no" to fascism and social engineering of people who choose to use a legal product.\n\nBut you will never see an antismoking lobbyist in favor of what would really solve the problem. Making tobacco illegal would "level the playing field". As it is now, the antismoking cartel are just playing with private business owners livelihoods while gathering a comfortable paycheck. They will never favor tobacco prohibition as they would have to find an honest job.
694086
It's happening, but I think it's a violation of free speech.\n\nFurther, I think it is government intrusion into private enterprise.\n\nIt should be up to private businesses to determine their own smoking policy.\n\nThe States are over-stepping its bounds and using their "general welfare" clause to do it.
706721
I grew up in the 60s and 70s in a family that smoked and none of us, not even one of us has died or gone to hospital for smoking related illness.  There needs to be a compromise on this issue, but when the people with money and nothing better to do than try to force everyone to be like they are set an agenda, the rest of us pay.  Where I live, a ban on smoking was recently passed (by a 7% margin, by the way, out of only 30% of registered voters weighing in), because these whiny, holier-than-thou control freaks couldn't be happy that we already had an ordinance requiring restaurants to have separate smoking sections with separate ventilation systems.  Now all the restaurants that invested all  that money in those separate rooms and vent systems are going to have to give them up to these jerks.  Recent talk shows have aired the voices of business owners saying that their business has suffered from the bans, while cities around them report increases, as those of us who still appreciate the concept of a free country drive to less fascistic communities to dine out.  Restaurants are private businesses and if someone can't stand the chance of smelling cigarette smoke, they most certainly do not have to go into them.  This no compromise attitude is very un-American, in my opinion.  Sadly, people these days usually just roll over when new laws go through and they'll just say, "OK, you took that right from me, at least I can still smoke in my car and house."  I just wonder how long that will be true. Hail Oceania!
19081
NO. There is not "A" law on smoking. But, I know of MANY laws AGAINST smoking.
865162
Here is an outline of Oklahoma's laws on tobacco/smoking issues-\nhttp://slati.lungusa.org/state-teml.asp?id=36\n\nIt was last updated 6/7/06