Will Virginia's Smoking Ban Bring More Patrons to Restaurants? (Richmond: lawyers, house)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

ScranBarre, the fact is that tobacco made Virginia some serious green a long time ago. Not something the state is necessarily proud of but it's a fact.

Heck, as a African-American, i'm not proud my home state hung so many slaves but it's a historic fact.

Well I know it's a "fact", but some people in this state act as if our history as a mecca for slavery and carcinogenic products is something to be "proud" of. It's not. I'm not proud that my own home area's history was comprised of many immigrants dying in coal mines for pitiful wages and lived in sub-standard housing while coal barons built the Victorian mansions you see dotting the region. The coal companies would honestly dump any bodies on front porches for the man's family to find.

[statecollege]

Yes. It will have minimal impact on those who smoke, because they will continue their restaurant habits. Non-smokers, however, will appreciate the smokeless environment and eat out more often than normal. Now, if we can just keep the smokers away from the restaurant entrances!

[oneasterisk]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Why should Virginia be proud of exporting something that ultimately kills people?

Tell that to the Irish and their Guiness. Heck I bet alcohol kills more people than tobacco.

Tobacco was a cash crop during colonial times. If Tobacco wasn't harvested in the US, the US probably would not exist.

[normie]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

Tell that to the Irish and their Guiness. Heck I bet alcohol kills more people than tobacco.

Tobacco was a cash crop during colonial times. If Tobacco wasn't harvested in the US, the US probably would not exist.

And why should Detroit proudly call itself Motor City? Don't they know cars kill people?

[bangorme]

As an ex-smoker, since coming to Virginia I have avoided any restaurants with smoking sections. The few I do eat in have secluded smoking areas and I sit as far away from them as I can. So this ban will open up many restaurants that used to be avoided by the vast majority of non-smokers.

As far as smokers staying home, that’s funny. Smoker’s have had to adapt to restrictions on where they can smoke everywhere other than restaurants. Yet they still smoke and still work, and still go to sporting events, and still go to government buildings and …

My least favorite argument centers around “let the restaurant owner decide.” Customers can just avoid the place, but it is the employees that pay the price. Do we allow patrons to target practice in restaurants? How about knife throwing or fire breathing? Or how many restaurants have you seen that cater to the sunbathers among us by mounting sun lamps all over the restaurant? Why don’t they do these things although there are probably customers that would like it? Because those activities would endanger everyone that worked there, and we don’t voluntarily expose workers to dangerous conditions. At least not anymore in VA.

[arielmina]

Originally Posted by bangorme

Customers can just avoid the place, but it is the employees that pay the price. Do we allow patrons to target practice in restaurants? How about knife throwing or fire breathing? Or how many restaurants have you seen that cater to the sunbathers among us by mounting sun lamps all over the restaurant? Why don’t they do these things although there are probably customers that would like it? Because those activities would endanger everyone that worked there, and we don’t voluntarily expose workers to dangerous conditions. At least not anymore in VA.

Oh didn't you know the smokers answer to that argument too? The employees can choose not to work there.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by arielmina

Oh didn't you know the smokers answer to that arguement too? The employees can choose not to work there.

Yeah, I know, smoking is the one exception where workers must avoid a job to avoid breathing a toxic substance. At least the silliness is over.

[car54]

Originally Posted by bangorme

Yeah, I know, smoking is the one exception where workers must avoid a job to avoid breathing a toxic substance...

No, there are plenty of occupations to avoid if you don't want to breathe toxic substances. Like welding....furniture and plywood manufacturing....the list of toxic occupational pollutants is endless.

Ever heard of the canary in a coal mine? They have fancy detectors nowadays, but there's gases in coal mines that will kill you right now, not decades from now.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by car54

No, there are plenty of occupations to avoid if you don't want to breathe toxic substances. Like welding....furniture and plywood manufacturing....the list of toxic occupational pollutants is endless.

Ever heard of the canary in a coal mine? They have fancy detectors nowadays, but there's gases in coal mines that will kill you right now, not decades from now.

Your analogy would make a little sense if your mine owner was blowing the coal dust in your face, which is what restaurant owners are doing when they allow fires inside the working environment.

Listen, I've got nothing against smoking. I did it. But at least be intelligent enough to not do it around other people. That means not inside of restaurants.

[badbrains1988]

this is the ....thread ever all you people are yuppies and obviously dont understand you live in virginia where the state motto is sic semper tryannis which means thus to tryants meaning stay out of our personal business, like your restruant or bar where you should be able to make a decision whether or not it should be smoking or non smoking. plus where are all these people that have wanted to hangout in bars all day but not smoke at all. the fact is there isnt well maybe in arlington or other yuppie areas, I know for a fact at the bar cueball in west springfield that 95 percent of the customers smoke cigarettes. so yeah i would say it will effect business