Do smoking bans affect businesses?
On One Hand: Positive Effect on BusinessAccording to a 2003 story in the “Lexington Herald,” smoking bans may actually increase local business at restaurants and bars. Instead of people hanging around at their tables to have a few cigarettes, people tend to leave sooner and thereby increase table turn, allowing businesses to serve more customers.On the Other: Not Much Effect on EmploymentAccording to a 2009 Ohio State University (OSU) study, smoking bans do not have much of an effect on the employment needs of a business. The study looked at the employment levels of bars between 2003 and 2006 and found some people had lost or gained jobs, but none were statistically significant to declare a positive or negative effect.Bottom LineAssistant health professor Elizabeth Klein of OSU does not believe that smoking bans have much of an effect on businesses, and if they do, it’s not nearly as extreme as some bar owners expect.
