Smoking Ban in Michigan Restaurants

Both houses of the Michigan State Legislature have passed a version of a comprehensive smoking ban that would cover all bars and restaurants in the State of Michigan. The bills are different, and will have to be resolved. It is still possible that this smoking ban will be derailed. However, it is also possible that the ban is near-at-hand.

Some bars and restaurants have been fighting this legislation. The main reason the ban has not passed until now is the powerful Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA) lobby.

Many states, counties, and cities across the country have passed similar bans, and the news for bars is actually good...with a caveat. The initial result is a downturn in business. But an upturn begins very shortly thereafter. Within 3 to 6 months business is better than before. Here's what happens:

1. Smokers decide they don't want to go out to non-smoking bars. Business drops
2. Smokers start dealing with the new reality, and start returning to the bars within weeks.
3. Non-smokers take a while to start coming out. After all, they've been trained for years to stay away. But they eventually realize that they can go out to bars, too.

I am looking forward to making my bar a non-smoking bar.

Why (I hear you ask) didn't you change earlier if that is what you want for your bar?

Simple...if a bar acts unilaterally only step one (above) occurs, and the bar goes out of business. This is something that has to happen over as wide a geographic area as possible, or it does not work. For the first five years the first floor of the \aut\ BAR was non-smoking. The instant the kitchen closed it was dead. We could not keep bartenders on those shifts.

Martin and I used to belong to the Michigan Restaurant Association (MRA). We decided not to renew because it was such a conservative organization, and we didn't want our dues lobbying for some of the causes we did not believe in. However, while members we did try to cause a little trouble.

Every year the MRA holds a "Lobby Day". Members are encouraged to travel to Lansing and lobby their representatives on a variety of issues. Matt and Rene Greff of Arbor Brewing, and Martin and I would show up. We were always grouped together since we were the wacky Ann Arborites. I guess the powers-that-be in the MRA figured we would cause less damage together than if we were spread out over the capitol.

We would walk in to a legislator's office and Rene would assertively paraphrase Howard Dean, saying "We represent the Democratic Wing of the Michigan Restaurant Association".

She would then hand them the position papers from the MRA on smoking bans. Then we would give OUR opinion.

Over the course of a couple of years we saw other MRA members joining our view. Interestingly, they too recognized that bans needed to have wide geographic scope to work. However, they were not looking at the public health issue directly. Instead they saw lawsuits on the horizon from non-smoking workers claiming they were forced to work in unhealthy environments. The bar and restaurant owners wanted the legislature to help them out of their dilemma.

And that is why the Republican-held State Senate actually passed the more aggressive ban.

I used to smoke, and like any addict I still consider myself a smoker. I just haven't had a cigarette in a bit over ten years. And also, like any addict, I realize that other addicts cannot be told to stop. They will have to face their demons in their own time and their own way. My desire to see the smoking ban is not to "force people to quit". It doesn't work that way.

It may actually help promote a non-smoking culture that will make it easier for people quit, or discourage people from starting in the first place. I am not optimistic about those possibilities, and that would be a lousy reason for the ban. That would be as effective as prohibition. The most important reason for the ban is to guarantee a safe environment for people at work and at play. Imposing smoke on other people is not only unhealthy. Its rude. And I can't believe how rude I used to be. So let's legislate some manners.

What do you think of smoking bans? If you want this one you should contact your State Representative immediately and let them know what you think.