2008 Woodie Awards
Smoking ban passes one year mark in Tenn.
Restaurants, bars and hotels cope well with no
Associated Press
Issue date: 10/6/08 Section: News
Industry and health groups in Tennessee say the vast majority of restaurants chose to ban smoking a year ago rather than banish those under 21 years old, and most appear glad they did.
It's been one year since restaurants went smoke-free in Tennessee. The Smoke-Free Workplace Act required restaurants to go smoke-free or limit admission to adults 21 and up.
State officials said there is no count of how many restaurants decided to limit admission to adults and allow smoking. The law does not require them to report their status to the state Department of Health.
"Support for the law is widespread across the business, restaurant and public health sectors," said Chastity Mitchell of the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee. "Since the law went into effect, the results have been outstanding. Tennesseans are protected from the dangers of second hand smoke and smokers are seeking help to quit."
Tennessee Restaurant Association interim manager Walt Baker said the group is generally pleased with the law and does not plan to seek changes. The association's support for the statute in the 2007 state legislature, after years of opposition, helped win its approval.
"We supported the bill unanimously. It gave individual businesses the option of going smoke-free or not," Baker said.
The state Health Department said that of the more than 20,000 hotels, motels and restaurants statewide that it inspects, only 145 warning letters were issued for violating the law within the last 12 months. Of those, only seven escalated into fines.
"Just from a maintenance standpoint, from a cleanliness standpoint, from a health standpoint, from an employee standpoint and from a financial standpoint, it saves money to be smoke-free. We think it's certainly been helpful for our employees," said Baker, who is also chief executive officer of the Tennessee Hotel & Lodging Association.
The law also required all motels and hotels to ensure that all their public areas, including lobbies and restaurants, to be smoke-free and that no more than 25 percent of rooms be smoking rooms.
Baker said that a survey by his association found that no Tennessee hotel or motel that had fewer than 25 percent of smoking rooms planned to increase the number and many planned to go totally smoke-free.
As for restaurants, Baker said some have felt the affects of the law, particularly those that rely more on bar business, where smoking tends to take place.
Baker said the first year has been an "adjustment period more than anything else, and businesses that have adapted well are not having a problem and those that have not are paying a little bit of a price right now."
It's been one year since restaurants went smoke-free in Tennessee. The Smoke-Free Workplace Act required restaurants to go smoke-free or limit admission to adults 21 and up.
State officials said there is no count of how many restaurants decided to limit admission to adults and allow smoking. The law does not require them to report their status to the state Department of Health.
"Support for the law is widespread across the business, restaurant and public health sectors," said Chastity Mitchell of the Campaign for a Healthy and Responsible Tennessee. "Since the law went into effect, the results have been outstanding. Tennesseans are protected from the dangers of second hand smoke and smokers are seeking help to quit."
Tennessee Restaurant Association interim manager Walt Baker said the group is generally pleased with the law and does not plan to seek changes. The association's support for the statute in the 2007 state legislature, after years of opposition, helped win its approval.
"We supported the bill unanimously. It gave individual businesses the option of going smoke-free or not," Baker said.
The state Health Department said that of the more than 20,000 hotels, motels and restaurants statewide that it inspects, only 145 warning letters were issued for violating the law within the last 12 months. Of those, only seven escalated into fines.
"Just from a maintenance standpoint, from a cleanliness standpoint, from a health standpoint, from an employee standpoint and from a financial standpoint, it saves money to be smoke-free. We think it's certainly been helpful for our employees," said Baker, who is also chief executive officer of the Tennessee Hotel & Lodging Association.
The law also required all motels and hotels to ensure that all their public areas, including lobbies and restaurants, to be smoke-free and that no more than 25 percent of rooms be smoking rooms.
Baker said that a survey by his association found that no Tennessee hotel or motel that had fewer than 25 percent of smoking rooms planned to increase the number and many planned to go totally smoke-free.
As for restaurants, Baker said some have felt the affects of the law, particularly those that rely more on bar business, where smoking tends to take place.
Baker said the first year has been an "adjustment period more than anything else, and businesses that have adapted well are not having a problem and those that have not are paying a little bit of a price right now."
Be the first to comment on this story