News

Smoking ban initiative keeps customers away

By Scott Wagar

01/08/2013

With the recent smoking ban initiative being voted into law in the state, a number of local businesses in the area are seeing a decline in their customers, which is making them see smoke.

The new smoke-free law is seeing a decline in local bars from smokers, who are regular customers, who can no longer smoke in their establishments.  

Ronnie Johnson of Cowboy’s Bar said that with the new law he has seen less of his customers inside his bar.

“I’ve seen a little difference in regular customers not coming back into the bar after the smoke-free law was passed. There’s a few that have come back since the smoking ban was put into place, but there are some who haven’t come back either,” said Johnson, who also commented that he can understand why his customers who are smokers are having issues. “I think the law for us (smokers and business owners who allow smoking in their establishments) is an attack on our freedoms.”

Johnson added that with the new smoking law, it is also causing bar owners to deal with extra upkeep.

“Outside of the bar is a mess because bars are not allowed to place ash trays outside there business,” Johnson said. “So, we are seeing a lot of cigarette butts around our businesses.”  

On Dec. 6, all North Dakota public places and worksites became smoke-free after North Dakota voters in November voted in favor of the smoke-free law.

According to the North Dakota Department of Health, the smoke-free law is a reflection of North Dakota’s commitment to protect the health of its citizens, along with acknowledging the right of individuals to breath air that’s smoke free in the state.

For Warren Schneider, owner of the Dog House in Bottineau, the smoke-free law is causing a lot of difficulties with his customer base and the rights of those who wish to smoke.

“Some of the smokers have come back to the Dog House, but we have also seen a loss in customers. I don’t know what number I would put on it, but definitely business is down,” Schneider said. “I’ve always went down (to Bismarck) and did my best to hold those laws back for the bars; and, I always thought it was up to us on how we run our business the way we wanted to, but the vote didn’t go our way.

“To me, it is another one of the people rights that were taken away,” stated Schneider, who used to smoke, but stopped many years ago. “The smokers now truly do feel second class, like they can’t go anywhere to smoke. At least they were able to come to a bar, but now they are huddled around garbage cans outside of the bars and 20 feet from their doors. So, the smokers are not really happy about it.”

In general, it appears that all the local bars are seeing fewer of their customers who are smokers in their bars, or are seeing that they are spending less time in their establishments.

In November, 67 percent of North Dakotans voted in favor of the smoking ban initiative, which was sponsored by the Smoke-Free North Dakota group. All 53 counties in the state, along with the political districts that represent the residents of North Dakota, voted in favor of making the state smoke-free in public areas.

With the law being passed, North Dakota becomes the 24th state, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that has gone smoke-free in public places in the U.S.

Although North Dakota has become a smoke-free public state, bar owners in Bottineau are hoping that their regular customers who smoke will make their way back to their businesses.  

“I have to be optimistic that they will come back,” Schneider said. “However, I noticed when some of my regular customers who are smokers come into the bar they do not spend as much time here as they use to. It just doesn’t fit their lifestyle any more.”