Patronize restaurants on day smoking ban starts, group says
Posted on Saturday, July 8, 2006
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/News/159870/
A group supporting a new state law that bans smoking in public places wants Arkansans to mark the day the ban goes into effect, July 21, by eating at their favorite restaurants.
Many restaurant owners claimed that the ban would take away business and the “Dine Out in Arkansas” event may allay some of those fears.
The Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas is planning the event to celebrate the start of the public health initiative, said Katherine Donald, the group’s executive director.
“We’re just trying to bring about additional awareness to the new indoor clean-air law,” Donald said.
The Clean Indoor Air Act was approved during a special legislative session in April. The ban includes exemptions for small hotels, nursing homes, the Oaklawn Park thoroughbred racetrack and Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis. Tobacco shops and home-based businesses with fewer than three employees also are exempt.
The statewide ban also exempts any bars that don’t allow anyone under age 21 on the premises, which may leave some bars and clubs out of the smokefree restrictions.
Dr. Jennifer Dillaha, director of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Health Advancement, said restaurant owners should not worry. She said that in other states with similar bans, business at restaurants and bars has increased since smoking bans were imposed.
“There are a lot of nonsmokers who wouldn’t ordinarily be going to those restaurants and bars because they’re too smoky,” Dillaha said. “In Arkansas there’s three times as many nonsmokers as there are smokers, so I’m anticipating that there will be a similar result here.”
Donald said the dining-out concept was first used in July 2005 when Pine Bluff passed a citywide smoking ban. The idea worked well then, Donald said, so the group worked on ways to expand the event.
The group thought a statewide day to dine out would work.
“We’re just asking people to patronize their favorite restaurant or diner to go out and show their support,” Donald said. “Hopefully, they can write a little note on their ticket and leave a little something of thanks.”