Clearing The Air

Are smoking bans good for business?

We in the hospitality industry know the answer to that question, but the well funded pro-smoking ban activists tell lawmakers over and over again that smoking bans are good for business. So I did a little digging.

According to this Dec. 2004 Star Tribune story a total of 15 establishments closed in 2004 in the Twin cities metropolitan area.

After a year of smoking bans in the same two metropolitan counties 73 establishments are out of business....the smoking bans have closed 5 times more businesses than the entire previous year when there was no local smoking ban.

So, are smoking bans good for business?......I'll let you do the math.

Nationwide business losses due to smoking bans can be found here.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 8:53 AM