Serious and/or funny comments welcomed.

I, personally, like this idea:




Popular Frenchmen Street bar d.b.a. to go smoke-free on January 3

By Keith Spera, The Times-Picayune


d.b.a. ranks among the most popular bars/music clubs within the bustling Frenchmen Street entertainment district. It is also one of the smokiest.


David Grunfeld / The Times-Picayune

Patrons will be required to step outside d.b.a. to smoke starting Jan. 3, 2011.
That changes Jan. 3, when d.b.a. bans smoking.

It was time to go smoke-free, managing partner Tom Thayer said, “when I can’t stand it any more, and don’t want to go to my own club, and my staff is constantly getting sick. I want a better environment for bands, my staff and customers.”

d.b.a. joins a growing list of local bars and music venues to go smoke-free. Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro and Chickie Wah Wah don’t allow smoking, but serve food in addition to live music; smoking has been banned in Louisiana restaurants since 2007.

Since March, Tipitina’s has not allowed smoking. Neither do Preservation Hall, Sweet Lorraine’s, Irvin Mayfield’s Jazz Playhouse, the Palm Court Jazz Café, the Neutral Ground Coffee House, the Rusty Nail and Republic New Orleans. The House of Blues occasionally presents non-smoking shows at the request of performers.

Nineteen states and more than 300 cities around the country prohibit indoor smoking in public places. A number of major European cities, including London, Dublin and Paris, have also gone smoke-free.

d.b.a. previously stopped selling cigarettes, “which helped a little bit,” Thayer said. He “got used to walking out of clubs and not stinking” in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, where indoor smoking is banned.

Unlike those cities, New Orleans’ more liberal open-container laws allow customers to take their drinks along when they step outside to smoke.

Thayer is confident the smoking ban won’t adversely affect business. “A few years ago, it might have been riskier. But I have people who tell me they don’t go to d.b.a. because of the smoke.”


*Keith could still perform here!:

He’ll try to find a way to accommodate musicians who like to smoke onstage. “Musicians may kind of get away with it,” Thayer said. “But as a general rule, we’re going to be non-smoking.”



The change is supported by staffers, Thayer said, some of whom suffer from recurring upper-respiratory illnesses they attribute to second-hand smoke.

He hopes the Louisiana legislature bans smoking in all bars. “It’s going to happen eventually,” Thayer said. At d.b.a, “we’re just ahead of the curve.”

The Web site LetsBeTotallyClear.org, maintained by the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco Free Living, lists more than 40 smoke-free bars in the New Orleans area.

[www.nola.com]

* Note added by Edith

You know what? As a smoker, the idea of the smoking ban terrified me when it was anounced here in the United Kingdom. However, after a few smoke-free pub-visits, I was fine. I still miss the smoke from time-to-time - especially in clubs - but I generally have no problem with stepping outside for a drag.

On a side note: what States in the U.S. still allow smoking in enclosed public areas?

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Big Al
On a side note: what States in the U.S. still allow smoking in enclosed public areas?

I don't know for sure, but I would guess that if not all 50 states have banned smoking in public areas, then it won't be long before they do.

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Edith Grove
I don't know for sure, but I would guess that if not all 50 states have banned smoking in public areas, then it won't be long before they do.

Yep, you're probably right on that one, sadly. Whilst I understand and agree with the ban on health grounds, I do occasionally find myself in a pub or club where I just sense that something is missing. You know, you look at the nicotine-stained wallpaper and imagine the smoke that would've once lingered just above your head.

The smoking ban is ridiculous....I'm all for people being able to go to pubs/clubs etc and being able to sit in a smoke free environmant, but it should be the owners choice. If they want why shouldn't they be allowed to have a room for smokers? They could employ staff who didn't mind working in a smoke room. I hate governments controlling free will !

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crumbling_mice
I'm all for people being able to go to pubs/clubs etc and being able to sit in a smoke free environment,
but it should be the owners choice. If they want why shouldn't they be allowed to have a room for smokers?
They could employ staff who didn't mind working in a smoke room.

i don't smoke anymore, but yeah: it should be up to the owner.
and on long-distance air routes there should be flights with and without smoking sections
and so on. choice is good.

I went in a cafe the other day (In the UK) and I suddenly remembered that it was once O.K. to smoke in there. That fact just struck me as being unbelievable, for a moment it was difficult to comprehend the backward and barbaric thinking that had allowed that, along the lines of......how the hell could anyone have ever have thought it was O.K. to let little kids work in the mines ?....And that's from someone who was smoking 1oz of tobacco a day 10 years ago.....having said that I actually do think in clubs and pubs there should be smoking rooms on condition they've got extra strong air conditioners and whoever serves in them is happy to.........



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-27 22:07 by EddieByword.

Hell, we are all agreeing, this is unknown on this forum, and also strange that a few random unconnected individuals all come up with the same conclusion - choice, and yet our elected governments choose to remove that choice. Worrying in a so called democracies!

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with sssoul

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crumbling_mice
I'm all for people being able to go to pubs/clubs etc and being able to sit in a smoke free environment,
but it should be the owners choice. If they want why shouldn't they be allowed to have a room for smokers?
They could employ staff who didn't mind working in a smoke room.

i don't smoke anymore, but yeah: it should be up to the owner.
and on long-distance air routes there should be flights with and without smoking sections
and so on. choice is good.

Up to the owner? What about the personnel? They smoke too if smoking is allowed. Too bad for their health. Here smoking is allowed on condition that the owner has no personnel. Logic to me.

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crumbling_mice
Hell, we are all agreeing, this is unknown on this forum, and also strange that a few random unconnected individuals all come up with the same conclusion - choice, and yet our elected governments choose to remove that choice. Worrying in a so called democracies!

I hate to spoil the party, but it's a public health issue as much as one about individual liberty. Cigarette smoke in restaurants disgusts me, but I have no problem with smoke in bars and clubs, personally.

>> Up to the owner? What about the personnel? <<

... didn't read what crumbling mice wrote, eh kleermaker? or are you just disagreeing for the fun of it?
the personnel can choose where to work too. choice is good.

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71Tele

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crumbling_mice
Hell, we are all agreeing, this is unknown on this forum, and also strange that a few random unconnected individuals all come up with the same conclusion - choice, and yet our elected governments choose to remove that choice. Worrying in a so called democracies!

I hate to spoil the party, but it's a public health issue as much as one about individual liberty. Cigarette smoke in restaurants disgusts me, but I have no problem with smoke in bars and clubs, personally.

It's a public health issue that they allow cars, trucks, buses to pour out poisonous fumes irrespective of the fact that there are many people that don't drive - children in particular. Smoking is an easily solved issue...if the owner of the establishment chooses to create a room where smokers can smoke and the employees are happy to work in that environment then what is the problem?

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with sssoul
on long-distance air routes there should be flights with and without smoking sections

I wouldn't fly like this unless they had sealed cabins with separate ventilation systems.

Having a smoking section in a plane, restaurant, etc. is like having a urinating section in a swimming pool.

I never understood why choice has to be stifled in this manner. Some establishments serve food, others dont. Some welcome kids...others dont. Pubs should be able to allow adults the right to smoke. They should employ staff who are ok with this. Everyone should have freedom of choice. I think New York was first to ban smoking, then every other city in the world said "well if the Big Apple can ban it, we can too".

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crumbling_mice

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71Tele

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crumbling_mice
Hell, we are all agreeing, this is unknown on this forum, and also strange that a few random unconnected individuals all come up with the same conclusion - choice, and yet our elected governments choose to remove that choice. Worrying in a so called democracies!

I hate to spoil the party, but it's a public health issue as much as one about individual liberty. Cigarette smoke in restaurants disgusts me, but I have no problem with smoke in bars and clubs, personally.

It's a public health issue that they allow cars, trucks, buses to pour out poisonous fumes irrespective of the fact that there are many people that don't drive - children in particular. Smoking is an easily solved issue...if the owner of the establishment chooses to create a room where smokers can smoke and the employees are happy to work in that environment then what is the problem?

There's not a problem, as far as I am concerned.

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Edith Grove

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with sssoul
on long-distance air routes there should be flights with and without smoking sections

I wouldn't fly like this unless they had sealed cabins with separate ventilation systems.

Having a smoking section in a plane, restaurant, etc. is like having a urinating section in a swimming pool.

Thats a bit OTT, but I agree with much of what you are saying. I would never allow smoking on planes, but why not have smoking areas within airports. I had a six hour wait for a connecting flight at JFK and there was no place to have a smoke in the airport. The place was packed with fatty burger joints and pizza places, so it isnt exactly healthy. Why not allow adults the right to smoke in an enclosed environment?

I agree that it should be up to the owner of the establishment.

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letitloose
I had a six hour wait for a connecting flight at JFK and there was no place to have a smoke in the airport.

Try to connect through Atlanta next time.
They have ventilated smoking areas in every concourse.
A non-smoker can walk right by these things and never smell the smoke.

It made me laugh when Glasgow council fined Keith on the last tour for lighting a cig up and then announced they were letting him! How ridiculous that a rock band are not allowed to smoke on stage. This country (UK) is rapidly going to the dogs in many ways - the smoking ban was just one of many policies our nanny state has adopted.

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with sssoul
>> Up to the owner? What about the personnel? <<

... didn't read what crumbling mice wrote, eh kleermaker? or are you just disagreeing for the fun of it?
the personnel can choose where to work too. choice is good.

That kind of personnel has no real choice. Welcome in the real world.

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kleermaker

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with sssoul
>> Up to the owner? What about the personnel? <<

... didn't read what crumbling mice wrote, eh kleermaker? or are you just disagreeing for the fun of it?
the personnel can choose where to work too. choice is good.

That kind of personnel has no real choice. Welcome in the real world.

Of course they have choice, I have two frineds whose main occupation is bar work and they can always get employment and whats more if bar staff worked in an establishment that had smoking and non-smoking rooms it would give staff who smoked (and there are many!) the option of which area to work in.

I only smoke during intercourse ...........



ROCKMAN

>> I wouldn't fly like this unless they had sealed cabins with separate ventilation systems. <<

smile: if some flights had smoking sections, you wouldn't fly even on flights that didn't have smoking sections?
okay! more room for me then :E

>> That kind of personnel <<

yeah yeah kleermaker - so we'll enact a law to take care of that too while we're at it.
choice is good even for whatever you mean by "that kind of personnel" :E

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Edith Grove

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letitloose
I had a six hour wait for a connecting flight at JFK and there was no place to have a smoke in the airport.

Try to connect through Atlanta next time.
They have ventilated smoking areas in every concourse.
A non-smoker can walk right by these things and never smell the smoke.

Nicotine patches and gum are dead handy for enforced 'no smoking' periods even if you don't intend giving up permanently,(takes the edge off being in a tube without a tube) also can be a sanity saver if you have to go into hospital or something like that. (Amazing sadism at play in hospitals - not only have you got to deal with recovering from whatever you're in there for but you have to deal with nicotine withdrawals too! + IMO anyway you would think the doctors would also be aware that that type of added stress is only going to hinder your general recovery ?.so should have advised the government to allow smoking rooms (as used to be) for health reasons...counter intuitive I know but still valid I think.) Anyway for anyone who gets really stuck even temporary use of gum and patches does help......

Smokers are junkies that rather see their local cafe closed then quit for at least a few hours.
Lots of cafes in Holland had to close their doors or at least got into serious
trouble due to this rather selfish behaviour imo.

I enjoy the fresh air in my local chess cafe.

I'm enjoying cigarettes and Red Stripe Jamaica Lager Beer, right now!! ><

I don't get why it's so difficult for people to be around smokers in a pub or restaurant....couldn't they just....not inhalate ?

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Rockman
I only smoke during intercourse ...........

Geez, dude, you don't even wait till after?

Nicotine is the most retarded drug addiction there is. After the first pack, smoking doesn't even get you a buzz anymore.

Just because you wanted to look cool in the 10th grade, now everybody else has to accommodate your jones? Bullshit.