I agree that there should be some sort of outlet for smokers in public, outdoor places, but i can't really think of a good solution to the problem. I think its a tricky situation. Oh well, you could always quit! 🙂

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This is one of the MAJOR reasons I like Aaron Rodgers. God looks out for drunks and fools. They passed the smoking ban just prior to opening day of the football season. I was two-packing it whenever Brett played.

Thanks to Aaron, I mostly make it outside mid-game to smoke, and don't miss that many plays. Unfortunately as I progressively get a bit of a load on...I forget and light up in the bar while watching. Everyone understands, and you hear this "DAVID!" I look down and see the cig burning. OOPS.

If Brett was playing, I think I would just go ahead and put $250.00 (fine, first offense) in the back of my wallet and say screw it. Gabby (Gabriella, my bartender) just "holds" my cigs for me nowadays when I go, kind of like a 28 year old mom that has to watch over her 53 yr old son.

We do have a "mom and pop bar" exception here. It has to do with a max # of employees, plus separate entrances, plus separate ventilation, plus the Knights of Columbus exception, plus the VFW exception, Plus the American Legion exception.
You can smoke there, but will be subjected to -- A way higher incidence of rednecks, war stories, and men, dependent upon which exception you opt for, or mostly all three.

I'll stick to the no smoking bar, flying mostly solo on the whole redneck (I prefer sodbuster-no hills) war story and man thing...or at least the correct dosage of it as can be found in this place, comparatively.

It does take getting used to..Rodgers definitely helped.

Ahh finally! and Great!

being an individual whom suffers from a serious breathing condition I apprecitate this new law.

Had to put up with smoke for years everytime I went out with my friends to the bars etc ...

Thats one of the things I like about london - no smoking in public places; although as soon as you exit the bar you are hit with like 10 smokers standing there all puffing away.

Went back home for christmas and went out with my friend (milwaukee)and came home smelling like an ash-try.

July 2010 (long wait) but will be nice to go out and enjoy a beer and not have to breath in everyones 2nd hand smoke (which is worse then smoking) - which I never have done.

Hell no. I've made many mistakes in my life, marriage has yet to be one of them.

Why would it go to the back alley? Because he mentions college football?

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No Smoking the seating area in an outdoor stadium is right.

I have no challenge with smoking areas outside the bowl in an outdoor stadium.

Pot is much worse than tobacco... really.

I use to have season seats for the Raiders in section 14 in LA. I swear, I was half stoned by the 4th Quarter, just from inhaling that crap.

Dubers where being passed down the row what seemed like every 10 minutes. No exaggeration.

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I think it's a dumb law.
Do i like being around smoke? No.
But it should be left up to the BUSINESS OWNER whether or not they allow it or not. As long as smoking itslef is legal, what does government have a right to dictate if you allow smoking in your establishment?

Let the PATRONS decide if they want to be in a place that allows it or not. If they lose enough business, they can CHOOSE to go smoke free if they want.
And no one forces you to go to a place that allows smoking. If you don't like it, don't go there.

What i find so interesting is it will NOT affect INDIAN CASINOS in Wisconsin. Thats our "great" Govenor Doyle. The Native Americans cut a sweet deal with him where they don't have to pay very much (as compared to before) to the state from their gambing revenue. In return, he got all of them to back him.
Now he slips them some more business, as smokers will go to the casinos just because they can smoke and drink. Pretty sweet deal, hey? Thats our wonderful Govenor. He should be run out on a rail for that alone.

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I got to disagree with you there; people dont go places so they can smoke. They do things and smoke where they do things.

People go out just as much in london as they did pre-ban - its not like they wont go out now cuz they cant smoke indoors. The econ affects some peeps but still bars are quite busy.

but ya I dont see why its ok to smoke at indian casinos ... not like they are in another country.

I know. It's not right. Why do THEY get a free ride?
And i KNOW that people will go there to drink knowing that they can light up when they want.
If EVERY place had the ban, then at LEAST it would be fair and equal. And as i'm sure you know, alot of people that sit at bars also smoke.
So if they have a choice of going to their local pub, or drive a few miles to a casino so that they can endulge their other habit, what do you think they will do?
If you don't think that will affect small business owners, your kidding yourself.
I don't like to be around smoking, but "big brother" has his hand in EVERYTHING we do now adays.
In Wisconsin you can legally drive a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, but if you are in a car and not wearing a seatbelt, you get a ticket. What kind of sense does that make??? If you are on a motorcycle and get in an accident, you have alot more of a chance of getting killed with no helmet. In a car, at least you are enclosed in something, not out in the open.
Government is getting WAY too big.
Leave seat belts and smoking up to the individual.
JMO

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It does negatively impact a lot of bar and restaurant owners. Everyone of those that could reasonable apply for a waiver did so. I have talked to several about it, along with the bartenders that have seen their tips go down in a major way.

Has to do with the customers they have always sought and many times built their business to cater to. Mom and dad with the kids don't get schnockered at the bar and tip good. They are frugal. They love the ban.

Many of the bars and restaurants here KNOW they are not eligible due to the # of employees and beverage/food ratios, but have spent tens of thousand of dollars just to separate the bar area from the food in order to be able to continue with the smoking section while they wait to have their application DENIED. They KNOW it will be denied, but because of the back log, as long as they meet the aforementioned conditions, they can still allow the smokers in while it is pending. The fact that they did that speaks volumes about the impact of a smoking ban in areas where a significantly larger percentage of the population still smokes comparative to other areas. (Such as central PA.)

There are demographics at play here also. More affluent, urbane and urban type settings are less likely to get creamed than joe six-pack bluecollarville.

A waiver was granted here in PA for the casinos also. I've been there. No one smokes in it. It is more of that upscale demographic I spoke of. They could have banned smoking in there with no impact, imo.

All the waivers that were granted here were seen initially as "unfair" and the whole "should have banned everywhere" argument ran hot and heavy.

Hasn't turned out that way, except for those bar owners and bar tenders that used to heavily cater to a regular crowd at their larger, upscale-type bar. Those drunks have moved on to smokier pastures, and it DOES impact their bottom line rather badly. Fortunately, because they are "big" enough, they have been able to absorb the loss. This is why the mom and pop bars got exemptions. They cater to the "regular crowd" that they have had for years, and those guys would have just gone to the American Legion.

NO WAY the legislature here could ban smoking in them. This state is loaded with veterans that smoke, and they vote pretty much en block on stuff, and that was an issue.

As big a cluster-fuck as it looks like on the outside, and as big of one everyone thought it would be here---it fit this state to a "T".

You can pretty much tell where smoking is allowed by how seedy the bar looks from the street. If it looks like a dive, you can smoke there. Mom and dad and the kids were not going in there in the first place.

I don't mind the no smoking laws for public events. You can't just switch seats at a packers game if you are annoyed by someone smoking. But on the flip side, bars should be allowed to choose either way. Let the customer decide which environment they wish to be in. I for one can't shoot pool for crap unless I have cigarette smoke filtering my view.

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