Clearing The Air

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Double standard, will it hold up in court?

Welding smoke is far more hazardous than secondhand smoke. But air quality testing regulates welding smoke to be safer than OSHA indoor air quality workplace regulations for employee exposure, so lawmakers are not calling for a ban on welding smoke.

Secondhand smoke on the other hand has been proven to be 15 – 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA workplace regulations for secondhand smoke exposure….and yet activists and lawmakers claim this is a health hazard requiring government intervention…….this double standard will not prevail in an objective court of law, and / or legislative review.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/11/is-secondhand-smoke-health-hazard.html

(Ventilation equipment is allowed in the industrial workplace to improve air quality, why not in the commercial workplace?)

Monday, January 29, 2007

In honor of Milton Friedman Day

In honor of Milton Friedman Day, Clearing the Air resurrects this post from May 2005.

.........the little woman brought home a copy of Milton Friedman's "Capitalism & Freedom"

In the introduction he states:
"...How can we keep the government we create from becoming a Frankenstein that will destroy the very freedom we establish it to protect?...."

Regarding smoking bans I pondered..... was government destined to such restrictions of personal freedom on its own?......I think not. But clever marketing and lobbying by pharmaceutical nicotine companies brought this unnecessary government restriction on the hospitality industry because of the non-profits' perceived credibility with the general populace.

Local governments' have bought into the notion that it is their responsibility to ban a legal activity from occurring in privately owned establishments for two fundamentally flawed reasons:

1) Elected officials naively believe whatever the non-profit health organizations tell them, because of the historically credible clout the American Lung Assoc., American Cancer Society, American Medical Association and others have wielded with the general population.

-however once the non-profit organizations accepted donations from the pharmaceutical nicotine industry they were no longer credible and unbiased sources of information regarding secondhand smoke, and the general public is beginning to see that. In addition regarding secondhand smoke, air quality test results proved secondhand smoke is 15 -25,000 times Safer than OSHA regulations, not the health hazard the pharmaceutical nicotine marketing machine (non-profit health organizations) claimed it was.

2) Since approximately 80% of the general public does not smoke, supporting a smoking ban is a sure fire re-election stance.

-again however, the general population, especially non-smokers are beginning to see smoking bans for what they are; a violation of private property rights. The notion of a privately owned establishment being a "public" or "quasi-public" place isn't sitting well with business owners ..or homeowners. They are beginning to ask themselves.....if government can eliminate legal activities in those private facilities, how long before my private property rights will be infringed upon?

A Frankenstein in the making? .......Or can it be reversed?.....The answer lies with the people....for "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." ( Edmund Burke)

Seldom is it the numbers that determine the outcome, but whether those who claim to be good men are willing to stand up and fight for what they know to be right.

We need Friedman's ideas now more than ever......Happy Milton Friedman Day.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Dr. Siegel discusses the serious conflict of interest in allowing pharmaceutical nicotine interests to fund smoking cessation policy & research

It is a welcome new addition to have someone like Dr. Siegel openly condemn the big business scam of allowing the pharmaceutical nicotine industry to fund policy and research of tobacco control advocates.

When I wrote yesterday about the financial conflicts of interest inherent in the pharmaceutical industry connections of a number of panelists on the groups that developed the Public Health Service's clinical practice guideline on the treatment of tobacco use and dependence and the national smoking cessation action plan, I wasn't aware of just how deep those connections were.

Today, I reveal the extent of these financial ties with regards to the chair of these two panels and argue that it is unethical and irresponsible to have such an individual developing what is supposed to be independent, objective, and unbiased national guidelines... You can read Dr. Siegel's full article here.

Clearing the Air has condemned the $50 billion dollar Johnson & Johnson Company's political wing the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for being the primary funding source for policy and research which influences lawmakers into enacting unnecessary and arbitrary smoking ban laws. And Dr. Siegel's reputation and credibility is sure to draw more media attention to this scandalous issue....at least that is our hope.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Minnesota statewide smoking ban introduced ......again

KARE 11 covers the reaction to another statewide smoking ban attempt.

And yes, my two cents were added........but it's always fustrating to know what was edited out of an interview. Yet, I have to say reporter Scott Goldberg was pretty fair, he did tell me that it was impossible to get all the information I provided ......so he asked what one message I would like to see survive and he made sure it happened check the video yourself.

That message was that there should be some financial compensation for those whose businesses closed and for the employees who lost jobs and so much more, due to the smoking bans. My preference is that the pro-smoking ban lobby would fund that compensation pool themselves. That lobby consists of the American Lung Association, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, the American Medical Association, the American Non-Smoker's Rights Foundation, the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids......and especially the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who provided $200,000,000.00+ of pharmaceutical nicotine industry funding to all the preceeding groups enabling them to continue their pro-smoking ban lobbying efforts.

If however, lawmakers don't feel they are able to compel the pharmaceutical nicotine profiteers into funding that $200-$500 million compensation pool...then lawmakers should set aside a portion of the surplus to help pay for that smoking ban.

Smoking bans have contributed greatly to a significant number of business closings, and subsequent job losses in the thousands. Lawmakers, and non-smokers seem to have the impression that smoke-free laws are "free", those of us out in the cold know that isn't the case at all.

Look, as a conservative I would much rather see the entire projected state surplus returned to Minnesota taxpayers. However if lawmakers are going to enact anti-business legislation and they are not going to compel the smoking ban profiteers to compensate those negatively affected......then they ought to be willing to pay for that new legislation. Perhaps Minnesota taxpayers might take a more active role in the smoking ban discussion if they have to fund it.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

The basis for the "secondhand smoke kills" argument was not just flawed.....it was fraudulent

Thus the later arguments and exaggerations that secondhand smoke kills 38,000 or 65,000 are also fraudulent.

Excerpt from Michael Crichton’s lecture:

http://www.michaelcrichton.net/speeches/speeches_quote04.html

In 1993, the EPA announced that second-hand smoke was "responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in nonsmoking adults," and that it "impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of people." In a 1994 pamphlet the EPA said that the eleven studies it based its decision on were not by themselves conclusive, and that they collectively assigned second-hand smoke a risk factor of 1.19. (For reference, a risk factor below 3.0 is too small for action by the EPA. or for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine, for example.) Furthermore, since there was no statistical association at the 95% confidence limits, the EPA lowered the limit to 90%. They then classified second hand smoke as a Group A Carcinogen.

This was openly fraudulent science, but it formed the basis for bans on smoking in restaurants, offices, and airports. California banned public smoking in 1995. Soon, no claim was too extreme. By 1998, the Christian Science Monitor was saying that "Second-hand smoke is the nation's third-leading preventable cause of death." The American Cancer Society announced that 53,000 people died each year of second-hand smoke. The evidence for this claim is nonexistent.

In 1998, a Federal judge held that the EPA had acted improperly, had "committed to a conclusion before research had begun", and had "disregarded information and made findings on selective information." The reaction of Carol Browner, head of the EPA was: "We stand by our science..there's wide agreement. The American people certainly recognize that exposure to second hand smoke brings.a whole host of health problems." Again, note how the claim of consensus trumps science. In this case, it isn't even a consensus of scientists that Browner evokes! It's the consensus of the American people.

Meanwhile, ever-larger studies failed to confirm any association. A large, seven-country WHO study in 1998 found no association. Nor have well-controlled subsequent studies, to my knowledge. Yet we now read, for example, that second hand smoke is a cause of breast cancer. At this point you can say pretty much anything you want about second-hand smoke.

As with nuclear winter, bad science is used to promote what most people would consider good policy. I certainly think it is. I don't want people smoking around me. So who will speak out against banning second-hand smoke? Nobody, and if you do, you'll be branded a shill of RJ Reynolds. A big tobacco flunky. But the truth is that we now have a social policy supported by the grossest of superstitions. And we've given the EPA a bad lesson in how to behave in the future. We've told them that cheating is the way to succeed.

It's not surprising then that the smoking ban advocates are not interested in the air quality testing which proves secondhand smoke is 15 - 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA air quality standards.........afterall the tests were conducted using sound scientific methodolgy without the fraud.

In other words the air quality testing didn't support their agenda.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/11/is-secondhand-smoke-health-hazard.html

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Smoking bans negatively impact the air filtration industry

I recently found this article that chronicled the business losses, due to nationwide smoking bans, and its affect on the manufacturer of Smokeeter, United Air Specialists an Ohio company with 100+ employees.

Excerpt:

........ the same anti-smoking sentiment that boosted Smokeeter sales in the past - especially as the health threats posed by second-hand smoke became a serious concern - is now hurting sales as more states and localities prohibit smoking in and adjacent to enclosed public places.

"Over the past five years, with the smoking bans, we've seen a decline," Wilhelmus said of the demand for Smokeeters. Ohio is the 16th state to ban smoking in public places.

Smokeeters now account for a relatively small share of United Air's overall sales, she said, although she declined to give more specifics.

Regular readers know that local smoking bans ended my career as the local exclusive sales rep for the same Smokeeter brand equipment, and any savings I once had...... eventually costing me my home.

Here, it must be noted that all the non-profit groups, which misled lawmakers into enacting smoking bans, as well as the philanthropic health organization RWJF, and even MPAAT ClearWay MN.....basically said "....too bad so sad......no we don't have a program to help you, even though it was our lobbying efforts that eliminated your job....."

In fact Bob Moffitt from the American Lung Association MN stated "....too bad Mark even the buggy whip industry went out of business....." (paraphrased). What Bobby conveniently neglects to mention is that the buggy whip industry declined gradually over decades due to free market forces........while government smoking bans on the other hand, enacted at his and other activists request, eliminated our business literally the very next day. And the fact that every one of these groups couldn't care less about the jobs and businesses eliminated due to their actions, tells you all you need to know about their collective concern for the health and welfare of the general public.

As I have demonstrated in the past, if it weren't for the multi-million dollar awards given to these non-profits by the pharmaceutical nicotine industry to increase product sales* of Nicoderm, Nicotrol, etc. for the Johnson & Johnson Company and the stock portfolio of its affiliate, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the smoking ban movement would have quietly disappeared long ago.

I am curious at what point the job losses will be significant enough to get the attention of the media and lawmakers, is it 10,000? 100,000? (2,000 - 3,000 jobs lost, due to smoking bans, here in the Twin Cities in one month alone).......for it is abundantly apparent that the pharmaceutical nicotine industry and their pawns, the non-profit health organizations, have no intention of letting job losses get in their way of their agenda.

*sales of over the counter pharmaceutical nicotine products exceeds $500,000,000.00 annually.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Health risk from cell phones exceeds the claimed risk from secondhand smoke by at least a factor of three

By now we all know about the purported health risks of secondhand smoke, at least that's what the alternative nicotine funded non-profits like the American Lung Association tell us. But air quality testing proves that secondhand smoke is NOT a health hazard.....in fact the American Cancer Society's air quality test results prove that indoor secondhand smoke concentrations are up to 25,000 times SAFER than OSHA air quality regulations.

Now, according to this article, it seems that health activists are targeting the cell phone industry once again......it only makes sense I guess, since they've banned substances which clearly are not hazardous.....eventually they're going to get around to banning things which MAY represent a health hazard. Either that or health activists have decided that the cell phone industry is ripe for the taking.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Dr. Siegel sums up the smoking ban movement "It's getting to the point where we're trying to protect people from something that's not a health hazard"

Bravo Dr.....it's about time somebody admitted it. Especially since American Cancer Society testing proves that secondhand smoke concentrations are up to 25,000 time safer than OSHA regulations.

This article out of San Francisco starts out:

"IN THE early 1990s, Dr. Michael Siegel began leading pioneering efforts to ban smoking in workplaces to protect the health of nonsmokers. Siegel, who got his start in the anti-smoking cause while earning his master's degree at University of California, Berkeley, has written dozens of scientific articles on the dangers of secondhand smoke. His testimony in court and at countless city council meetings also helped push public policy toward tighter restrictions on smoking.

But now Siegel is speaking out against the movement he helped create. Why? Today's anti-smoking crusaders, he says, have lost their moorings in science by advocating smoking bans in the last refuge for smokers ..............I never understood that the goal was to get rid of smoking so that no one even gets a whiff of smoke.' 'It's a grass-roots social movement that's been so successful that it doesn't know where to stop,' Siegel continued. 'It's getting to the point where we're trying to protect people from something that's not a public health hazard.'

Now don't read too much into the good doctor's statement, I'm sure he is still basically pro-smoking ban..........but at least he's beginning to see the error of his ways.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

A record unprecedented number of bar & restaurant closings here in the Twin Cities may be the leading cause of an increase in crime.

Murder and violent crime in the Twin Cities has been spiraling upward since 2005. This article by The Minnesota Daily points to a record number of closed hospitality businesses as a very likely cause.

...On the other side, a brown brick building once known as the Baja Riverside Bar & Grill features boarded up windows and creeping graffiti. ... In the parking lot, tall weeds are trying hard to establish their own small patch of prairie.

The fact that Baja Riverside Bar & Grill is closed is very significant because so little is open or lit up at night near this stop along the light rail. Walking toward the campus, a pedestrian leaving the train at Cedar-Riverside is greeted by sights like an overflowing trash container decorated with graffiti and a blue short bus with some of its rear windows smashed.

If you had a knife sticking out of your chest and wanted to stagger somewhere and call 911, ........ where would you go?

It doesn't take a socio-economic scholar to realize that boarded up, closed, and abandoned buildings leads to inner city blight and higher crime rates.

Of course smoking bans would never be implicated as being the catalyst for a record number of 100+ hospitality business failings in the Twin Cities from the "enlightened" keyboards at the University of Minnesota paper of record The Minnesota Daily. So Clearing the Air will pen what many have suspected but are afraid to voice: smoking bans equal closed bars and restaurants, closed bars and restaurants equal blighted, higher crime rate inner cities.

Or to put it quite directly smoking bans equal higher crime rates.

I would invite a research institute to confirm this hypothesis, however, as the University of Minnesota and other research universities have received multi-million dollar grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation......their loyalties are firmly pro-smoking ban, as it is the pharmaceutical nicotine royalties (dependent upon tobacco nicotine smoking bans) which funded those multi-million dollar grants.

Other articles citing a link between smoking bans and higher crime rates:

http://makeaccountable.blogspot.com/2005/03/winnipeg-sun-news-butt-ban-kills.html

http://encyclopedia.smokersclub.com/4.html

Saturday, January 06, 2007

European smoking bans eliminate customers and business......finally the media is starting to report the facts.

This story tells about a recent study which:

..collected data on 2,724 pubs - 1,590 in Scotland and 1,134 in Northern England.
In conclusion, they say the ban, introduced on March 26 last year, has seen a 10% decrease in sales and a 14% fall in customers in pubs. "Our study suggests that the Scottish smoking ban had a negative economic impact on public houses … due in part to a drop in the number of customers."
The short-term impact of the ban did not lead to more customers coming into pubs due to the smoke-free atmosphere....

In Spain business losses of 30% are being reported:

...This decision has had an immediate effect on the cash registers in these establishments. The president of the Association of Hostelry Businesses in Malaga (Aehma), Rafael Prado, tells us that since the new law came into force, those bar and restaurant owners who have banned smoking completely have lost 30 per cent of their bar clientele. “This translates into a global loss of about 12 per cent in turnover each day,” he adds. ......In his view, the new law has not achieved its objectives. “All it has done is to give everybody a bad headache,” he says, adding that there are not enough incentives for smokers to give up the habit.......

It should be noted that business losses due to smoking bans is not a new phenomenon, rather it is because the media did not report those losses that smoking ban advocates were able to lie to lawmakers about the effects on businesses.

Now however, with an alternative media that cannot and will not be ignored, traditional media outlets are forced to acknowledge the facts.........smoking bans destroy businesses and jobs.

And further to note, smoking bans are completely unnecessary as OSHA workplace air quality regulations (CFR 29) protect the health of every worker in the hospitality trade. Air quality test results show secondhand smoke levels in 60+ venues range between 15 - 25,000 times safer than OSHA air quality regulations for secondhand smoke.

Friday, January 05, 2007

100 bars and restaurants put out of business in less than two years since Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington, MN. enacted smoking bans

Update 2012: Over 500 Minnesota bars and restaurants have closed since smoking bans were enacted in the land of 10,000+ unemployed hospitality workers.

A newly discovered official report from the State of Minnesota Auditor's Office proves what many of us against smoking bans always knew, smoking ban activists lied to the public and lawmakers when they said smoking bans were "good for business". This State of Minnesota official report found that one year after the statewide smoking ban, revenue was down on average 31.9% in bars and taverns.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2010/10/minnesota-releases-revenue-numbers-that.html

Smoking bans, a large majority of which were enacted between 2002-2006, were a major contributing factor to worldwide economic meltdown:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2009/03/worldwide-economic-meltdown-and.html

Something for taxpayers in smoking ban states to consider: Have you noticed that your property taxes continue to increase even as your property values decrease? Well, just because government over-regulation shut down thousands of bars & restaurants, eliminating millions even billions of dollars in local tax revenue, doesn't mean local government is going to do with less....guess who picks up the balance? You the taxpayer.

These businesses and jobs were eliminated by government intervention long before the economic crisis of '08-'09......and in fact were a contributing factor of the aforementioned economic turmoil as the economic effects from smoking bans were identical in hundreds of other smoking bans around the globe.

Just remember what the Nicoderm (RWJF) funded smoking ban lobbyists told lawmakers "...smoking bans are good for business....." They just didn't mention that the business they were referring to was the Johnson & Johnson pharmaceutical nicotine business:

According to this news story the Minnesota smoking ban tripled demand for smoking cessation products (coincidence?):

http://cleanairquality .blogspot.com/2007/12/minnesota-smoking-ban-triples-demand-of.html

As of 10/1/2007 a new Minnesota statewide smoking ban is beginning to have a negative financial impact on bars and restaurants outside of the metro area, the metro area closings started to occur after Mpls, St. Paul, and Bloomington smoking bans in 4/2005)

According to this 2004 end of year Star Tribune article only 14 establishments closed in '04.....the last full year without a smoking ban. (Scroll down to The party's over heading)The party's over. A tough year for restaurant closings meant saying farewell to Chet's Taverna, Marimar, Giorgio's on France, Livingston's, Chives, Zaroff's Delicatessen, Margaux Limitee, August Moon, El Ray de Oro, 13 Moons, Amsterdam Bistro & Bar, Amie, Chi-Chi's and Stuart Anderson's Cattle Co.

Since implementing smoking bans the Twin Cities area has seen over 400 hospitality closings......the facts speak for themselves, smoking bans are very bad for business and our economy.

Minneapolis, Bloomington & St. Paul MN. hospitality establishments out of business since the smoking ban began 3/31/05...... 100 closed in 20 months. Updated list in no particular order (includes updates from City Pages, MN Monthly, Pioneer Press, Twin Cities Business Journal, KMSP 9 news, WCCO, and more)

1) Hop's Maple Grove, MN.
2) Denny's Restaurant Plymouth, MN.
3) Copelands Minneapolis
4) TGIF Brooklyn Center, MN.
5) TGIF Minneapolis, MN.
6) Nick & Tony's Minneapolis, MN.
7) America's Original Sportsbar Mall of America Bloomington, MN.
8) Jillian's Mall of America Bloomington, MN.
9) Park Tavern Bloomington, MN.
10) Larry's Lounge in Long Lake, MN.
11) Goodfellow's Minneapolis, MN.
12) Chang O'Hara's (bankruptcy protection) St. Paul (Now the Happy Gnome)

13) Mainstreet Bar & Cafe Maple Grove, MN.
14) Bilimbi Bay Minneapolis, MN.
15) Bilimbi Bay Apple Valley, MN.
16) Bilimbi Bay Eden Prairie, MN.
17) MN Sports Cafe
18) Jacobs 101 Minneapolis
19) Café Di Napoli Minneapolis
20) Majors
21) Southtown Bingo Bloomington, MN.
22) Italiani's Plymouth, MN.
23) 3 Muses
24) 13 Moons Minneapolis, MN.
25) 510 Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.
26) Amie
27) Chez Foley Wayzata, MN
28) Chives
29) El Rey de Oro
30) Mpls. Café Minneapolis, MN.
31) Soul City Supper Club
32) Tonic of Uptown Minneapolis, MN.

33) Porter's Minneapolis, MN.
34) Molly Quinn's Minneapolis, MN. (local media covers this closing)

Breakaway Bar -(Luke is still hanging on as best he can, stop by and say hello)
35) Minnehaha Grill
36) Margarita Bella Minneapolis, MN.
37) Olive Garden
38) Knuckleheads Comedy Club Mall of America Bloomington, MN.
39) Asian Infusion, St. Paul, MN.
40) Big E.’s Soul Food, Minneapolis, MN.
41) Chet’s Taverna, St. Paul, MN.
42) Ciatti’s, Maplewood, MN.
43) Jazzmine’s, Minneapolis, MN.
44) Katsu Sushi, St. Paul, MN.
45) Le Bambou, Minneapolis 46) Mangia, Minneapolis, MN.
47) Margaux Limitée, St. Paul, MN.
48) Marketplace Café, Minneapolis, MN.
49) Red, Minneapolis, MN.
50) Rockin’ Lobster, St. Paul, MN.
51) Bobino's Starlight Lounge, Mpls, MN.
52) Wazobia Nigerian Cafe, Minneapolis
53) Waldo's
54) Player's Mall of America Bloomington, MN
55) Shamrock's W. 7th St. Paul (rumor is this one is a personal vendetta by some pro-smoking ban city council members in St. Paul against an owner who testified against the ban. In other words the city refused to extend a license on a technicality, but that's just the rumor from some St. Paul hospitality business owners, feel free to correct me on this one Mr. Thune)
56) Mojito's St. Louis Park, MN.
57) Stasius Bar Minneapolis, MN (reopened under new mgmt?) Bob Moffitt Communications Dir. for American Lung MN once referred to Stasiu's as his "old stomping grounds". I doubt he shed a tear though in realizing his role in contributing to their demise, because as the Lunger tells us no bars or restaurants have gone out of business due to the smoking bans. In fact, to hear the media & Bob tell it, none of these 76 establishments went out of business at all, they've simply closed their doors for an extended period of time to count all the profits that the smoking bans have bestowed upon them.
58) Little Jack's Minneapolis story here.59) The Buttery St. Paul
60) Cracker Barrel Brooklyn Park, MN.
61) Perkins St. Louis Park, MN.
62) Howie G's Plymouth, MN.
63) Jake's Moundsview, MN.
64) Dixie’s Calhoun Minneapolis, MN.
65) Hamlin’s Cafe
66) Loring Grill
67) Pineda Tacos Minneapolis, MN.
68) Sidney's Minneapolis, MN.
69) Sidney's Minnetonka, MN.
70) Sidney's St. Paul, MN.
71) Sidney's Edina, MN.
72) Zeno's Minneapolis, MN.
73) Zeno's Eden Prairie, MN.
74) Louis XIII Edina, MN.
75) Bobino's Minneapolis (not same as Starlight Lounge)

76) Diner Minneapolis, MN.
77) Big City Tavern
78) Tiburon Minneapolis, MN.
79) Viking Bar Minneapolis, MN. (And now for the real shocker the uber liberal Star Tribune writes a page 2 story which attributes it demise to the smoking ban.......the Star Tribune until now seemed as though they were in the pocket of pharmaceutical nicotine interests.)
80) Sharx Nightclub Minneapolis, MN.
81) Peter's Grill Minneapolis, MN. Incidentally, Peter's Grill was one of the establishments which was about to buy Smokeeter air cleaners from me prior to talk of the smoking bans. Thank god the city council spared them from having to make that investment.
82) Mike's Bar St. Paul, MN (read more here)

For those readers not from here, St. Paul city council member David Thune was one of the first lawmakers influenced by Nicoderm funded activists....some of these same Nicoderm funded activists, like the American Cancer Society (who received $99 million from Nicoderm partner Robert Wood Johnson Foundation RWJF) contributed big $$ to local politicians to influence their vote.
83) Billy's Lighthouse Long Lake, MN.
84) Over the Rainbow St. Paul, MN. (read more here)
85) Boom Minneapolis, MN. (read more here)
86) Sophia's Minneapolis, MN.
87) Pizza Pie & I Minneapolis
88) Grandma's Saloon & Eatery Plymouth, MN.
89) The Little Wagon Minneapolis -update: reopening 3/07 under new management
90) Ricky's Loft Minneapolis
91) Bennigan's Maplewood, MN.
92) Homestead Restaurant Golden Valley, MN.
93) Pickle's Lounge St. Paul, MN.
94) LeVain Minneapolis this closing is also mentioned on their website.
95) The Carousel St. Paul, MN.
96) Irv's Minneapolis, MN.
97) Sully's Minneapolis "...closing Jan. 31, 2007 due to drop in business because of smoking ban..." -comment provided by Sully's management to Clearing the Air in a telephone interview.98) Main Event Bar Minneapolis
99) Odaa Minneapolis
100) Robert Lee Restaurant Minneapolis
101) Baja Riverside Bar & Grill Minneapolis. This article points out how a record number of closed bars & restaurants leads to a dangerous trend of unsafe neighborhoods.
102) Sports Break Bar St. Paul
103) The Quest Minneapolis (for those unfamiliar, this is one of the largest nightclubs in the Twin Cities, once owned by Prince) story here in City Pages
104) Five Restaurant & Street Lounge Minneapolis. The Star Tribune has the story here, but will typically remove the link within days.....the Star & Sickle is embarrassed that the smoking ban agenda, which they endorsed, is destroying the hospitality industry here in record numbers.105) Auriga Minneapolis
106) Urban Wildlife Bar and Grill, Minneapolis
107) Popeye's Minneapolis
108) All Stars Bar Spring Park, MN
109) Westrum's Tavern Minneapolis, MN. Southwest Journal tells the story, though they don't tell you what we all know.....Judy Westrum's 40 year old business really began to decline once the smoking ban was enacted. The medias' intentional suppression of the financial damages inflicted upon the people in the hospitality industry by government smoking bans is an absolute crime.110) Decoy's/AlleyCat, NE Minneapolis
111) Italian Pie Shoppe St. Paul, MN. (original site closed, now in new location)
112) The Lake Inn, Minneapolis
113) Trikx St. Paul, MN closing announcement
114) Timberlodge Steakhouse Roseville, MN.
115) Andy's Garage St. Paul, MN.
116) Fhima's St. Paul, MN.
117) French Press St. Paul, MN.
118) Andy's Tap Bloomington, MN. story in the Star Tribune . But true to their pro-smoking ban agenda, the Star Tribune would never report that Andy's or any of the other 118 bars & restaurants were forced to close due to revenue losses from the smoking bans. Andy's survived 42 years in business....suddenly and mysteriously the Strib would have you believe the customer base for Andy's Tap just disappeared. With 42 years business experience for Andy's, 70 years for Porter's Bar, 40 years for Westrum's Tavern.......it must have been an unprecedented, colossal, and historic event which forced these businesses to close; and it was...........the smoking bans. 119) Backyard Bar & Grill Bloomington, MN
120) Bridgeman's, Richfield
121) Riverside Restaurant, Minneapolis
122) The Poodle Club, Minneapolis
123) TGI Fridays Brooklyn Park, MN.
124) Coyote Grille Brooklyn Center, MN. Mgmt. here holds no punches as they boldly report the smoking ban led to their demise more here
125) A Rebours St. Paul, MN. more here from the Pioneer Press (they (Pio Press) are known for removing their links within days)
126) Margaux St. Paul, MN. closing announcement here
127 ) Chico Chica St Paul, MN
128 ) Ruam Mit Thai St. Paul, MN
129 ) Cafe of the Americas, Minneapolis, MN
130) Willie's Wine Bar Minneapolis, MN.
131) Old Chicago Minneapolis, MN. (Comment from a reader) Just heard on the news that Old Chicago in DT Minnepolis will close due to the "decrease of traffic in the area." No mention of the smoking ban, but I have heard from bartenders at Old Chicago that the "decrease in traffic" started with the smoking ban.
132) Shelly's Restaurant St. Louis Park, MN has closed as announced in the Star Tribune.
133) Roberts on 10 Maplewood, MN.
134) DD's Cafe Crystal, MN.
135) TimberLodge Steakhouse St. Louis Park, MN.
136) DooLittle's Plymouth, MN.
137) DooLittle's Coon Rapids, MN.
138) TGI Friday's Plymouth, MN.
139) Copper Bleu Lakeville, MN.
140) Pizza Nea Minneapolis, MN.
141) Rush (formerly Rodeo) Cottage Grove, MN.
142) T.F. Boonies Detroit Lakes, MN.143) Dale's Beltrami County, MN.
144) Git R Done Beltrami County, MN.
145) Mason's Beltrami County, MN.
146) Northwoods Steakhouse Beltrami County, MN.
147) Pour Willie's 71 Bar Beltrami County, MN.
148) Union Station Beltrami County, MN.
149) Ember's Mankato, MN. Co-owner Nicole couldn’t fight back tears while talking about how much she’s going to miss her co-workers and customers.
150) Larry’s Bar in Fergus Falls, MN. story here
151) The Broken Axe Moorhead, MN. Management stated by phone that the smoking ban was the greatest single contributing factor for the loss of revenue and subsequent closing. 12/31/07 was their last night of business.

152) VFW Post 8854 St. Paul, MN. (this was the last remaining VFW in St. Paul)
153) Northern Lights Bar and Grill Montevideo, MN

154) Detoy's Family Restaunt Granite Falls, MN

155) Langesson's Benson, MN

156)- Buffet Holdings Inc. Eagan, MN. owns Country Buffet, Ryan's and Tahoe Joe's brands, 626 establishments in total, files for bankruptcy.

157) - Maurer's Parkside Lounge Rick Maurer said, "... the smoking ban dealt it a deadly blow, taking away more than a quarter of its clientele." (the quote and link is to a Pioneer Press article 2/7/08, and as part of mainstream media's concerted effort not to report any negative aspects of the smoking ban; is subject to be removed at any time)

158) Back to the 50's Ramsey, MN.

159) Don Pablo's Minnetonka, MN.

160) 4 Alarm Bar & Grill Rockford, MN.

161) New Delhi Bar & Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.

162) Richard's on Main Norwood / Young America, MN.

163) Emma's Restaurant & Lounge Minneapolis, MN.

164) Cafe Limon Minneapolis, MN.

165) Chang Bang Minneapolis, MN.

166) 700 Express Minneapolis, MN.

167) Soba's Minneapolis, MN.

168) Cafe 44 Minneapolis, MN.

169) Pane Vino Dolce Minneapolis, MN.

170) Don Pablo's Eagan, MN.

171) Don Pablo's Woodbury, MN.

172) Baker's Square Plymouth, MN.

173) Oakies of Oakdale, MN. -owner Charles Senkler informed Clearing the Air "....the bottom dropped out of both food and beverage sales with the State Wide Ban....."

174) Isabel's Minneapolis, MN.

175) Baker's Square Minnetonka, MN.

176) Joe's Crab Shack Maple Grove, MN.

177) Baker's Square Burnsville, MN.

178) Baker's Square St. Paul, MN.

179) Baker's Square Minneapolis, MN.

180) Baker's Square Stillwater, MN.

181) Baker's Square St. Anthony, MN.

182) Bentley's Vadnais Heights, MN.

183) Bingo Plus Inver Grove Heights, MN.

184) Hillcrest Bingo St. Paul, MN.

185) Midway Bingo St. Paul, MN.

186) Cottage Grove Bingo (formerly Fantasy Cruise Bingo) Cottage Grove, MN. the closing of bingo halls due to smoking bans, documented here, is particularly damaging because bingo halls provided tens of millions back to the community in charitable funding for hockey leagues, little league baseball, etc.......not anymore; thanks to the Nicoderm special interests and the non-profits they funded. (By the way I personally designed and provided Cottage Grove Bingo a $35,000+ state of the art, air filtration system......theirs was the best of the best)

187) Romano's Macaroni Grill Burnsville, MN.

By the way, 187 closings are approximately 1/3 of the total liquor licenses in Minneapolis.....so you can see that it is an unusually high percentage of closings that have ocurred since smoking has been banned here.

188) Passage to India Minneapolis, MN.

189) Lotus Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.

190) Temple Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.

191) Romano's Macaroni Grill Rochester, MN. story here

192) Joe's Crab Shack Roseville, MN.

193) Finnegan's Pub Delano, MN.

194) Grandma's Saloon Minneapolis, MN. closing 5/22/08 -The president of Grandma's Corporation, Brian Daugherty, said legislation like the smoking ban has deteriorated the state of hospitality jobs in Minneapolis. The ironic thing here is that this quote and link comes from liberal U of M online publication the MNDaily, whose members from day one have argued that smoking bans are not to blame for hospitality closings.

195) Foundation Nightclub Minneapolis, MN.

196) Minnehaha Lanes St. Paul, MN. .....had complained in the past that the smoking ban, which took effect in St. Paul more than a year before it reached the rest of the state, had driven a primary source of income — bowling leagues — away.. more here.

197) Campiello's Minneapolis, MN. (13 year history comes to an end with its closing 6/20/08)

198) Alleygator's / Spectrum Lanes Maple Grove, MN.

199) Sweet Lorraine's Minneapolis, MN.

200) The OZ in Elko, MN. local website comment "Well the problem with oz was that the owner was a complete retard when it came to owning a buisness. The owner of oz was an eye doctor for the past 20 years or so before she decided to try her luck at the restaurant buisness." Somewhat disrespectful of course, but the fact that this bar was owned by a former doctor, lends some credence to the speculation that healthcare or pro-smoking ban groups have tried to buoy up the hospitality industry, without success, in order to hide the fact that smoking ban laws have decimated the hospitality industry.

201) The Norseman Cokato, MN.

202) Henry's Restaurant Willmar, MN.

203) West Indie's Soul St. Paul, MN.

204) Ravello's Long Lake, MN.

205) Ginnelli's Pizza Minneapolis, MN.

206) T.J. Finnegan's Mankato, MN.

207) Sugar Room Lounge Mankato, MN.

208) The Vault Belle Plaine, MN.

209) Timber Lodge Steakhouse Mankato, MN.

210) Timber Lodge Steakhouse Eden Prairie, MN.

211) Brix Bistro & Wine Bar St. Louis Park, MN.

212) Paradise Restaurant & Cafe Minneapolis, MN.

213) Totino's Italian Kitchen Minneapolis, MN.

214) Mysore Cafe Minneapolis, MN.

215) Chevy's Fresh Mex Minneapolis, MN.

216) Manhatten Loft Minneapolis, MN.

217) Canary Cafe Minneapolis, MN.

218) Little Nikki's Minneapolis, MN.

219) Timber Lodge Steakhouse West St. Paul, MN.

220) Lyn-Del Lanes Bloomington, MN

221) American Legion Bloomington, MN.

222) Starbucks 2221 E. Main Frontage Road. Albert Lea, MN.
223) Starbucks 599 Northtown Drive NE. Blaine, MN.
224) Starbucks 2331 108th Lane NE. Blaine, MN.
225) Starbucks 12555 Ulysses St. NE. Blaine, MN.
226) Starbucks 5512 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Center, MN.
227) Starbucks 615 66th Av. N. Brooklyn Center, MN.
228) Starbucks 6901 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Center, MN.
229) Starbucks 14637 County Road 11 Burnsville, MN
230) Starbucks 250 E. Traveler's Trail Burnsville, MN.
231) Starbucks 3450 124th Av. NW. Coon Rapids:, MN.
232) Starbucks 2740 Main St. Coon Rapids, MN.
233) Starbucks 13131 Riverdale Drive Coon Rapids, MN.
234) Starbucks 1140 Torgerson Drive Fairmont, MN
235) Starbucks 2280 Grant St. Faribault, MN.
236) Starbucks 1731 N. Frontage Road Hastings, MN.
237) Starbucks 3156 Century Av. N. Mahtomedi, MN.
238) Starbucks 1881 Madison Av. 239) 1680 Warren St. Mankato, MN.
240) Starbucks 1201 E. Main St. Marshall, MN.
241) Starbucks 5101 County Road 101 Minnetonka, MN.
242) Starbucks 5980 Neal Av. N Oak Park Heights, MN.
243) Starbucks 4000 Annapolis Lane Plymouth, MN.
244) Starbucks 144 Tyler Road N. Red Wing, MN.
245) Starbucks 2665 Commerce Drive NE. Rochester, MN.
246) Starbucks 1539 17th Av. E Shakopee, MN.
247) Starbucks 242 W. 7th St. St. Paul, MN.
248) Starbucks 9000 Hudson Rd. Woodbury, MN
(What's the reason for reporting the closing of non-smoking places like Starbucks? Many of the Starbucks in MN went smoke-free voluntarily before the statewide smoking ban. Logically then, much of their success was that they (and a couple other non-smoking establishments) had cornered the small smoke-free niche market, but once every other establishment was forced to ban smoking.....Starbuck's no longer had the corner on that smoke-free business......revenue losses and closure quickly followed)

249) Bennigan's St. Louis Park, MN.

250) Bennigan's Bloomington, MN. Nationwide Bennigan closing story here.

251) Steak & Ale Bloomington, MN.

252) Durkins Pub Anoka, MN.

253) Narrows Maple Grove, MN.

254) Denny's Golden Valley, MN

255) BJ's Lounge Minneapolis, MN.

256) Johnny A's Bar & Grill Minneapolis, MN. -owner John Alexander testified against the smoking bans on numerous ocassions, knowing from the beginning that the Nicoderm funded activists were lying when they claimed smoking bans were good for business......now he has firsthand proof that he was right.

257) Benchwarmer Bob's Sportsbar & Grill Burnsville, MN.

258) Bill-A-Bong Bar & Grill Bloomington, MN.

259) Dos Amigos Mankato, MN.

260) Giorgio's Minneapolis, MN.

261) Major's Sports Cafe Vadnais Heights, MN.

262) Major's Sports Cafe Roseville, MN.

263) Zander Cafe St. Paul, MN.

264) Shep's Bar Cologne, MN.

265) Canyon Grille Eden Prairie, MN.

266) VFW Mound, MN.

267) American Legion 25th Av. S. Minneapolis, MN.

268) Pi Nightclub (which took over above Legion) Minneapolis, MN.

269) Lodge Bar Minneapolis, MN.

270) Wild Oaks Lounge Cologne, MN.
271) Jake's Sportsbar Crystal, MN.

272) Chevy's Fresh Mex Eden Prairie, MN closed is now Baja Sol Cantina273) JP's American Bistro Minneapolis, MN.
274) Rossi's Steak House Minneapolis, MN.
275) Babalu Minneapolis, MN.
276) Otho Minneapolis, MN.
277) Cintia's of Mexico Minneapolis, MN.
278) Safari Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.
279) Cafe Havana Minneapolis, MN. owner John Rimarcik phoned me back in 2005 proclaiming he was happy to have the city of Minneapolis ban smoking.....at the time I didn't think that would be a profitable ordinance for the city's only cigar bar, apparently I was right.
280) Restaurant Indio Minneapolis, MN.
281) Sawatdee Minneapolis (uptown)
282) Bavarian Haus Hutchinson, MN. (announcement in Hutchinson Leader)
283) Morelos Mex Grill Minneapolis, MN.
284) Cliquot Club Minneapolis, MN.
285) Monte's Steakhouse Faribault, MN.
286) Crab House Fridley, MN.
287) Harold's Chicken Shack Minneapolis, MN.
288) Matty B's Urban Bar & Restaurant St. Paul, MN.
289) Vera's Minneapolis, MN.
290) Matty B's Urban Bar & Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.
291) Woody's Rockford, MN.
292) California Cafe Mall of America Bloomington, MN.
293) Espresso Royale Minneapolis, MN.
294) Sauced Minneapolis, MN.
295) La Bodega Minneapolis, MN.
296) Stone's Stillwater, MN.
297) Fugaise Minneapolis, MN. (closing 3/14/09)
298) City Billiards Minneapolis, MN.
299) Harvey's Minneapolis, MN.
300) The Times Minneapolis, MN.
301) Sam's Wine Shop Minneapolis, MN.
302) Chelly's Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
303) Manny's Tortas Minneapolis, MN.
304) Obrien's Decoy Minneapolis, MN.
305) Applebee's Lake Calhoun Minneapolis
306) Bayport Cookery Bayport, MN.
307) Burrito Loco Minneapolis, MN.
308) Checkered Apron Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
309) Mill City Pizza Minneapolis, MN.
310) Jitters Minneapolis, MN.
311) Tin Cup St. Paul, MN.
312) Three Fish Minneapolis, MN.
313) Bella Sera Wine Bar Ristorante Maple Grove, MN.
314) Cork's Grill & Wine Bar St. Cloud, MN.
315) McMillan’s Restaurant St. Cloud, MN.
316) Roster's Sports Bar & Grill St. Cloud, MN.
317) Bakers Square St. Cloud, MN.
318) Outback Steakhouse St. Cloud, MN.
319) Hooter's Restaurant St. Cloud, MN.
320) River City Restaurant & Pub Chaska, MN.
321) Chestnut's Restaurant & Lounge Chaska, MN.
322) Bayrischer Hof German Restaurant Montrose, MN.
323) Vineyard Restaurant Anoka, MN. closing 5/31/09
324) Wildwood Pizza Mahtomedi, MN. closing 5/12/09
325) Saba's Shakopee, MN.
326) The Little Wagon Minneapolis, MN. (see #89 above)
327) Pressbox Sportsbar & Grill Minneapolis, MN.
328) Mell's Beauty Bar Minneapolis, MN.
329) Boulevard's Bar & Grill Brooklyn Center, MN.
330) Jazzy Fox Bistro Restaurant Fergus Falls, MN.
331) Tacos Blass Minneapolis, MN.
332) Dinkytowner Minneapolis, MN.
333) Safari Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.
334) D'Amico Cucina Butler Square Minneapolis, MN. closing 6/27/09
335) Mabuhay St. Paul, MN.
336) Club 3 Degrees Minneapolis, MN.
337) Trocaderos Minneapolis, MN.
338) Morton's Steakhouse Minneapolis, MN.
339) Al's Bar St.Louis Park, MN. (had been a Twin Cities favorite for 83 years)
340) Mairin's Table Minneapolis, MN.
341) Grandma's Saloon West Duluth, MN. closing by the end of 2009
342) Bellanotte Minneapolis, MN.
343) Gusto Cafe and Wine Bar in Hopkins, MN.
344) Pastrami Jacks' Eden Prairie, MN.
345) Applebee's St. Paul, MN (University Av.)
346) The Lake House Forest Lake, MN.
347) Myth Night Club Maplewood, MN. (Minnesota's largest music venue)
348) Uptown Bar & Grill Minneapolis, MN.
349) Outback Steakhouse Eden Prairie, MN.
350) All American Grill & Brewhouse Waverly, MN.
351) Whole Hog Heaven Waconia, MN
352) Figlio's Minneapolis, MN
353) Decoy's Grill & Bar White Bear Lake, MN
354) Canyon Grille Coon Rapids, MN.
355) Cafe Brenda Minneapolis, MN. (closing Dec. 5, 09)
356) Tejas Edina, MN. (closing Dec. 30, 09)
357) Cafe Agri Minneapolis, MN.
358) Timber Lodge Steakhouse Spring Lake Park, MN.
359) Michael's Steakhouse Worthington, MN.
360) Escape Ultra Lounge Minneapolis, MN.
361) Grizzly's Grill & Saloon Apple Valley, MN.
362) Bella Blaine, MN.
363) Pasquale's Blaine, MN.
364) Black Dawg Bar & Grille Burnsville, MN.
365) Bali Minneapolis, MN.
366) Panino's Minneapolis, MN.
367) Timberlodge Steakhouse St.Cloud, MN.
368) Chamber's Kitchen Minneapolis, MN.
369) Hollywood Ranch House New Germany, MN.
370) River Rock Bar & Grill Monticello, MN.
371) Maggiano's Little Italy Eden Prairie, MN.
372) Laredo's Tex-West & Cantina St. Louis Park, MN.
373) Manhattan's Minneapolis, MN.
374) J J's Dry Dock Minneapolis, MN.
375) Pak Zam Zam Minneapolis, MN.
376) Prima Minnetonka, MN.
378) Stacatto Minneapolis, MN.
379) The Green Room Waconia, MN.
380) Renegades Bar & Grill Burnsville, MN.
381) Sawatdee Bar & Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
382) Zake's Minneapolis, MN.
383) Jade Asian Minneapolis, MN.
384) Picosa Minneapolis, MN.
385) Machu Picchu Minneapolis, MN.
386) LoTo St. Paul, MN.
387) Bibo Eagan, MN.
388) Black Bear Lodge & Saloon Rogers, MN.
389) Picosa Minneapolis, MN.
390) Il Vesco Vino (Rizzo's) St. Paul, MN.
391) Canyon Grille Eden Prairie, MN.
392) Breakaway Bar Robinsdale, MN.
393) Viva Italia Eagan, MN (closed 12/2008)
394) Stand Up Franks Minneapolis, MN.
395) Timberlodge Steakhouse Maple Grove, MN.
396) Decoy's Grill & Bar Hopkins, MN
397) Grape Vine Cafe Duluth, MN.
398) Tejas Texas Grill & Saloon Hermantown, MN.
399) LeGrand Supper Club Duluth, MN.
400) Billy Mac's Rochester, MN.
401) 418 Club Minneapolis, MN.
402) The Rock Maplewood, MN. from Mpls. Star Tribune article comes this quote from owner of The Rock Bar "Brian Bauman said his business took a hit from the statewide smoking ban in 2007..." (highlighted quote is a link to the article, but since the Star Tribune promoted the failed smoking ban policy they will likely remove that link, which is why we at CTA have at least preserved the quote)
403) Zen Asian Minneapolis, MN.
404) Kabobi Eden Prairie, MN.
405) L'Ecosse Minneapolis, MN.
406) NBA City (Target Center Timberwolves Complex) Minneapolis, MN.
407 Major's Sports Cafe Golden Valley, MN.
408) Istanbul Minnetonka, MN.
409) Cowboyz Rockford, MN.
410) Hooter's Minneapolis, MN.
411) Gabby's Minneapolis, MN. (owner personally informed me that revenue losses after the smoking ban were dramatic)
412) Major's Sports Cafe Bloomington, MN.
413) Hell's Kitchen Duluth, MN.
414) Uncle Franky's (Dinkytown) Minneapolis, MN.
415) Harry's Food & Cocktails Minneapolis, MN.
416) Armatage Room Minneapolis, MN.
417) Subo Minneapolis, MN.
418) Rumours & Innuendo St. Paul, MN.
419) Fuddrucker's Maple Grove, MN
420) Fuddrucker's Eden Prairie, MN
421) Fuddrucker's Bloomington, MN
422) Fuddrucker's St. Louis Park, MN
423) Ciento's Golden Valley, MN. (was in Major's #407 location after their closure)
424) Psycho Suzi's Minneapolis, MN. (closing original location to move into former Gabby's #411 location)
425) Sauce Pizza & Wine St. Louis Park, MN.
426) Ringo St. Louis Park, MN.
427) Moon Rock Bar & Grill Champlin, MN.
428) Palomino Restaurant & Bar Minneapolis, MN.
429) Da Afghan Bloomington, MN.
430) Cafe Bonxai St. Paul, MN.
431) JJ's on Main Street Annandale, MN. ending a 75-year run that began not long after the repeal of Prohibition story here
432) Kieran's Irish Pub (name later changed to Old Pub) Minneapolis, MN. was a local favorite for 16 years (this is the original location at 4th & 2nd)
433) Azia Restaurant & Bar Minneapolis, MN.
434) Volnay Bistro Bar Wayzata, MN.
435) The Kitchen Stillwater, MN. (reported as closed in City Pages)
436) Town Talk Diner Minneapolis, MN. (reported as closed)
437) Liberty Frozen Custard Minneapolis, MN. (closing 1/28/11)
438) Pop Restaurant St. Paul, MN.
439) Hot Shots Night Club / Burnsville Bowl Burnsville, MN. listed as closed on this website
440) Tri-City American Legion Post # 513 New Brighton, MN. more here
441) TGI Friday's Roseville, MN. more here
442) Pearson's Restaurant Edina, MN. more here
443) OM Minneapolis, MN. more here
444) The Favor Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
445) 20.21 (Wolgang Puck) Minneapolis, MN (final dinner service 3/12/11)
446) Baja Sol Cantina Eden Prairie, MN.
447) Le Crazy Taste Bakery Minneapolis, MN.
448) Kozy's Steak & Seafood Edina, MN.
449) Aperitif Woodbury, MN.
450) Tillie's Bean Minneapolis, MN.
451) Tea Garden St. Paul, MN.
452) Willie D's Southern Style Minneapolis, MN.
453) Fishman's St. Louis Park, MN.
454) Applebees (Block E) Minneapolis, MN. more here
455) 501 Club Minneapolis, MN.
456) Baggan's Pub Fridley, MN.
457) Sharky's Grill & Bar Columbia Heights, MN.
458) Olive Garden Brooklyn Center, MN.
459) Porky's St. Paul, MN. (local icon for 58 years now closed)
460) Guadalajara Restaurant Monticello, MN.
461) Forum Restaurant and Bar Minneapolis, MN.
462) Panchero's Mexican Grill Minneapolis, MN.
463) Schumachers Hotel & Grill New Prague, MN.
464) Time Out Restaurant & Sports Bar Blaine, MN
465) Space Aliens Blaine, MN.
466) Purple Sandpiper Bloomington, MN.
467) Tinucci's Woodbury, MN.
468) 3 Monkey's Minneapolis, MN.
469) Hard Rock Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
470) NorthCoast Wayzata, MN.
471) Wayzata Eatery Wayzata, MN.
472) Alaska Eatery St. Louis Park, MN.
473) Karma Minneapolis, MN.
474) Joe Senser's Sports Bar & Grill Eagan, MN.
475) The Inn Minneapolis, MN.
476) Soul Daddy at Mall of America Bloomington, MN.
477) La Sirena Gorda Minneapolis, MN.
478) Pacific Islander Minneapolis, MN.
479) Bumper's Restaurant & Sports Bar Burnsville, MN.
480) Yukon Club Minneapolis, MN.
481) Union Bar Minneapolis, MN.
482) Barnacle Bill's Brooklyn Center, MN.
483) Doc Holiday's Delano, MN.
484) Turtle Bread Minneapolis, MN.
485) CiCi's Pizza Plymouth, MN.
486) Cici's Pizza St. Paul, MN.
487) Cici's Pizza Eagan, MN.
488) IL Gatto Minneapolis, MN.
489) Duplex Restaurant / Bar Minneapolis, MN.
490) Time Out Restaurant & Sports Bar Eagan, MN.
491) Bullwinkle's Saloon Minneapolis, MN.
492) Prairie Ale House Eden Prairie, MN.
493) TGIFriday's Woodbury, MN.
494) Tickle's Piano Bar Minneapolis, MN.
495) 414 Soundbar Minneapolis, MN.
496) Banana Joe's Minneapolis, MN.
497) Woodbury Grill Woodbury, MN.
498) Tubby's Bar & Grill Minneapolis, MN.
499) Sunny's Bar Minneapolis, MN.
500) Sunnyside Up Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
501) Cafe Twenty Eight Minneapolis, MN.
502) TGI Friday's Rochester, MN.
503) Aviary Restaurant Rochester, MN.

504) Dailey's Pub Mound, MN.

505) Abu Nader Deli St. Paul, MN.

506) Amici Pizza Minneapolis, MN.

507) Betty's Pies Mahtomedi, MN.

508) Chula Vista St. Paul, MN.

509) Leaning Tower of Pizza Minneapolis, MN.

510) Q Kindness Cafe St. Paul, MN.

511) Sui Yep Cafe St. Paul, MN.512) Champps Americana Sports Bar & Grill (Butler Square) Minneapolis, MN.
513) Rosen's Bar & Grill Minneapolis, MN.
514) John O's Brooten, MN.

515) Metro Bar & Grill Rochester, MN.516) Nikki's Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
517) Chan's Chinese Restaurant Eden Prairie, MN.
518) Gladius Minneapolis, MN.
519) Drink Minneapolis, MN.
520) Smalley's 87 Minneapolis, MN.

521) The Great Sun Buffet & Bar Minneapolis, MN.
522) Senser's Bar & Grill Plymouth, MN.
523) Hooter's Burnsville, MN.
524) Scooter's Bar & Grill Big Lake, MN.
525) Nick & Eddie Restaurant/Bar Minneapolis, MN.
526) Caribe Bistro St. Paul, MN.
527) Vescio's Trattoria (skyway location) Minneapolis, MN
528) Aribel's Richfield, MN.
529) Risotto Restaurant & Bar Minneapolis, MN.
530) Lakeside Drive-In Big Lake, MN.
531) O'Malley's on Main Prior Lake, MN.
532) Spin NightClub Minneapolis, MN.
533) Star Bar Columbia Heights, MN
534) Jack's Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
535) Mill City Cafe Minneapolis, MN.
536) Chico's Restaurant & Bar Onamia, MN.
537) Bennigan's Moorehead, MN.
538) Mikki B's Anoka, MN.
539) Kabob's Indian Grill Maple Grove, MN.
540) Taj Indian Grill St. Anthony, MN.
541) M &S Grill Minneapolis, MN.
542) 620 Grill Northfield, MN.
543) Throwbacks Grille & Bar Woodbury, MN.
544) Richard's Restaurant & Pub St. Peter, MN.
545) Cedars Grille St. Peter, MN.
546) Matty's Brainerd, MN.
547) T.G.I. Friday's Mankato, MN.
548) Famous Dave's Mankato, MN.
549) Coffee News Cafe St. Paul, MN.
550) Howl at the Moon piano bar Minneapolis, MN.
551) The Hanger Room Willernie, MN.
552) Abdul's Afandy Minneapolis, MN.
553) Chula Vista Mexican Restaurant & Cantina St. Paul, MN.
554) Chico's Place Becker, MN.
555) Bootlegger's Minneapolis, MN.
556) Salida Depot Big Lake, MN.
557) Basement Bar & Grill Prior Lake, MN.
558) Aura Restaurant & Bar Minneapolis, MN.
559) PrimeBar Minneapolis, MN
560) Kinsen Noodles and Bar Minneapolis, MN.
561) Cat-Man-Do Minneapolis, MN.
562) D'Amico Kitchen Chambers Hotel Minneapolis, MN.
563) King & I Thai Lounge & Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.
564) Kikugawa Sushi Minneapolis, MN.
565) Thom Pham's Wondrous Azian Kitchen Minneapolis, MN.
566) El Meson Minneapolis, MN.
567) Papa's Restaurant Minneapolis, MN.

(Ventilation equipment is allowed in the industrial workplace to remove welding smoke, why not in the hospitality workplace to remove tobacco smoke? The fact that Nicoderm, Nicorette, Nicotrol, money via RWJF is used to finance smoking ban lobbyists is the likely reason......it's all about making money not concern for health)

(200+ establishments closed pre 2008, long before any economic downturn, so economy was not a factor, smoking bans were) List last updated 2/12.

*list of closures in Hennepin & Ramsey Counties in Minnesota since smoking ban implementation 3/31/2005, as reported by members of the public, and when possible verified with the respective city.......reports of bar / restaurant closures due to smoking bans apparently are not being reported by the Star & Tribune.....perhaps because of their editorial agenda in favor of smoking bans.
Apparently the pro-smoking ban activists lied to lawmakers and the employees who would later lose their jobs. when they stated that smoking bans were good for business.

The pharmaceutical nicotine industry which funds non-profit organizations to lobby in favor of smoking bans, continue to tell lawmakers that smoking bans are a boon for business. However, the business owners previously mentioned, and laid-off employees tell a different story.

What motivates Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, Nicotrol, and Chantix drug makers Johnson & Johnson Company, Pfizer, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to continue funding smoking ban efforts? Nearly $1 billion in smoking cessation products sales annually for starters.

Johnson & Johnson’s private foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), has provided hundreds of millions of dollars to smoking ban lobbyists; such as the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, American Non-Smoker’s Rights, etc. The motive appears to be a rent seeking agenda, J & J’s wholly owned subsidiary ALZA manufactures Nicoderm and Nicoderm CQ for GSK; additionally J & J’s purchase of Pfizer home healthcare products unit means J & J also profits from Nicotrol product sales. Nicoderm, Nicoderm CQ, and Nicotrol products are alternative tobacco products, which directly benefit from smoking bans. Here in Minnesota, Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as ClearWay MN crowed about the three-fold increase in demand for alternative nicotine products after smoking ban legislation was implemented. Perhaps a BOYCOTT of all Johnson & Johnson products is the proper response to their lack of ethical business practice.

But that's the dilemma our local politicians find themselves in........on the one side is the rich and powerful special interest group demanding laws that financially benefit their marketing interests.....and on the other side is the individual whose rights they were elected to uphold and serve. I guess it all comes down to a simple question: are they a servant of the people, or a slave to big money interests?

Oh.....and then there are these pesky little air quality test results that prove secondhand smoke concentrations are 2.6 – 25,000 times safer than OSHA workplace air quality standards.

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2006/02/air-quality-testing-and-secondhand.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/04/bmj-published-air-quality-test-results.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2004/04/american-cancer-society-test-results.html

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/11/johns-hopkins-air-quality-testing-of.html

It's clearly time to reverse these anti-business smoking ban laws, in light of the fact that politicians are influenced by distorted and omitted data

from the pharmaceutical nicotine industry and the non-profit organizations in their employ. Especially when you consider the tens of thousands of individuals now unemployed due to these onerous and unnecessary laws.

There has been a concerted effort by local politicians and the media to dismiss hospitality closings due to our overall economic slump. However, over 200+ of the closings above ocurred between 3/31/05 (date of local smoking ban inception) - 12/31/07 , which not only preceeded our economic slump; but was the cause of our economic slump.

Liberal politicians and Nicoderm funded smoking ban activists were the catalyst in destroyng business and jobs.......and subsequently our local & global economies.

Unemployment data shows that in 2004 the year prior to a smoking ban, Minnesota's unemployment rate was 4.1%. Then liberal politicians enacted smoking bans and the unemployment rate has steadily increased.

Elsewhere smoking bans eliminated 100,000+ jobs:

Smoking bans increased unemployment at a time when our economy was booming......but eliminating one hundred thousand+ hospitality jobs.....eventually has a negative trickle down effect on other industries. IE 100,000 unemployed hospitality workers stopped buying houses, or worse had their homes foreclosed upon, stopped buying cars, stopped buying computers, TVs etc., then the home-builders, automakers, electronic manufacturers, realtors, etc. started losing their jobs because of the effect from the 100,000+ unemployed bar and restaurant workers.......and the snowball races downhill.

3,382 UK pubs closed after their nationwide smoking ban

1,000 -2,000 US bars & restaurants closed after various local smoking bans were enacted

Nearly 300 Mpls / St. Paul bars & restaurants closed after smoking bans were enacte d

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Casino revenue losses in Colorado after smoking bans

Washington state gambling revenues fall sharply

Trump and Atlantic City casinos lose significant revenue after smoking ban

See which MN lawmakers voted to eliminate choice and jobs here in MN.

Here's a spoiler alert for you.....liberal lawmakers, called DFL here in MN, voted approximately 85-95% in favor of smoking bans....Republicans voted approximately 85-95% in favor of PRIVATE hospitality owners making their own business decisions....see vote link above. (in fact the MN Republican party platform included a plank to oppose property rights destroying smoking bans see section 7 paragraph S)

In a related story:

Worldwide closing of liquor licensed establishments (from smoking bans) is causing revenue losses in the beer industry:

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/07/15/is-trouble-brewing-in-the-u-s--beer-industry.html?sid=101

Also visit our sponsors at bottom of webpage

Boycott these special interests (J & J) who destroyed the hospitality industry & jobs

Why does UCSF researcher Stanton Glantz support smoking bans?

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