Clearing The Air

Minnesota's new statewide smoking ban is already closing down rural bars and restaurants

Detroit Lakes, MN. T.F. Boonies is one of the first outstate victims of the 2 month old statewide smoking ban.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S251768.shtml

A Detroit Lakes area bar owner is blaming Minnesota's new smoking ban for putting him out of business........Tweten said his "happy hours" were growing when the ban hit, but after that his after-work business shrunk to nothing.

Tweten, a former Moorhead bar owner, said most established bars may be able to hang on - but he predicts some will have no choice but to close because of the smoking ban.

Clearing the Air has chronicled 142+ closed local establishments since Twin Cities smoking bans were implemented, we have no doubt that Mr. Tweten is correct in stating the statewide ban will have the same effect. There is overwhelming evidence that smoking bans have NEVER increased business.....but have actually closed nearly 1,000 establishments and eliminated tens of thousands of jobs.

Meanwhile air quality testing has overwhelmingly concluded that secondhand smoke IS NOT a workplace health hazard:

http://cleanairquality.blogspot.com/2007/11/johns-hopkins-air-quality-testing-of.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/2006/02/air-quality-testing-and-secondhand.html

Perhaps there is a special interest agenda driving the smoking ban movement.

posted by marcus aurelius @ 11:02 PM