Smoking in Austin Bars? (Round Rock, Hutto: business, service, recreation)

[Biscuits]

Originally Posted by S6Sputnik

Many year x smoker piping (pun intended) in.

It should be the choice of the owner of an establishment. free market, freedom, free to choose ...You know all the stuff that we live here for!!!!

If you don't like a bar with a no smoking policy got to one where you can smoke and visa versa!

To play devil's advocate, should the Austin bar owner also have the freedom to refuse service to Hispanics (or a policy against any other group)? Isn't that also free market, freedom to choose, etc.? Couldn't I argue if you didn't like that policy you could go to another bar that had policies you were more fond of?

[Trainwreck20]

By the way, a lot of people who work in the bars smoke and were quite happy to work at the smoking-allowed establishments, leaving jobs open for non-smokers at the others

Having spent years in restaraunts and bars as an employee, I can say that 80 percent (probably more) were thrilled at the prospect of a non-smoking environment. And most of the employees were economically tied to working in bars/restaraunts - there really were very few non-smoking establishments, so not really an option.

The original ordinance allowed for restaurants to have smoking if they had a completely separated air space with a separate air handling system. This was a very expensive conversion for most buildings, so only a few complied. Trudy's converted all of their locations. Becuase they spent the money and did it 'right', they are grandfathered from the new ordinance and can have smoking.

The individuals are fined for smoking 'illegally', but I think establishments can still be fined for providing ash trays, not sure.

Anyway, keep it Austin or take it to politics .

[Trainwreck20]

Isn't that also free market, freedom to choose, etc.?

The smoking is tied to health, whereas the items listed under Equalt Rights (race, gender, religion, etc,) are not. On the other hand, you could have a bar that did not allow people over 6 feet tall, or did not allow people with striped shirts, etc, because those are not protected.....

[TexasHorseLady]

The smoking is tied to health

So is eating. Do we anticipate a ban on McDonald's in the near future? (Serious question - transfats are already banned in New York City and Chicago, of all places.)

For the record, as an anecdotal point, my MIL chainsmoked for at least 50 years that we know of, and drank nothing but black coffee for at least that long (chaindrank?). She had surgery in her 70's, and the doctors expected to find her lungs in terrible shape, because, you know, smoking inevitably leads to lung damage. Nope - she had very nice, healthy lungs, much to their shock and dismay.

More anecdotal data: very often when we celebrate someone who's lived to be 100 or older, they smoked for most of that time.

I know at least two people (related to one of them, the other was my best friend for 30-odd years) who lived the absolutely "correct" lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise, not smoking, etc., both of whom got cancer, one of whom died of it.

We really don't know everything, however comforting it is to think that we do.

[Trainwreck20]

My aunt died in her 50s with black lungs and a massive lung tumor. Anecdotal is just that. The truth or falsehood of smoking is for the health forum. I am just indicting that the smoking ordinace in Austin is tied to health, not a freedom of choise issue.

[Biscuits]

My main point was that those who argue the "rights of the business owner" to allow smoking usually abandon that logic when it begins to be applied on a grand level.

From a "health" standpoint, could you not argue that men in their 20's are more likely to assault a fellow patron than another group? Should the Austin bar owner be able to only allow women (of all legal ages) and men over the age of 29?

[nicole evans]

First off, is the bar in question:
Silver Dollar
Giddy ups or any other on that stretch of Manchaca?
If so than this thread is a waste of all of our times, those bars are outside of the city of Austin. Therefore are not required to ban smoking. There are VERY few smoking bars in the City Limits, to the person who said all the bars on 6th were smoking, you have not been down there in the last 5 years. If you want to smoke in a bar go to Manchaca, Kyle, Buda, RR, P-ville, G-town, Hutto, Taylor, Lockhart, San Marcus (? not sure if they have banned it yet)....and the list goes on. If you don't want to be a part of the Smoking scene, stay in Austin.

EVERYTHING will give you cancer, and everything will kill you.

[another_hot-day]

Umm I was down on 6th street weekend before last. And EVERY bar I went into had smoking. They even provided ash trays which is something not al bars are willing to do any more.

[Paulmmm]

The bar I was originally talking about is Giddy Up's. I assumed that since it lists its address on its website as being in Austin (12010 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748) and since I voted (as an Austin resident) at the school right next door to it, that it was in Austin. I was just trying to learn what the law was here, not trying to come off as someone who says "Because I don't like it, nobody should be allowed to do it" or someone who's "wasting everybody's time."

Anyway, thanks to those who answered my question. It sounds like the answer is that there is a law, but some bars don't enforce it. I guess I'll just have to eventually learn which places I'm most comfortable in, smokingwise, by trial and error. Thanks again!

[Trainwreck20]

It sounds like the answer is that there is a law, but some bars don't enforce it.

That hits it right on the spot.

Btw, if you feel cranky after leaving a smoky bar, just call APD, they will come out and write a citation or two .