> -----Original Message----- > From: Angel Stewart [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 10:54 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Where are the non-smokers? > > Well... > > It does say something about Non Smokers. > > If you ban smoking...and you lose 20% to 50% of your sales...
These figures aren't exactly confirmed. What percentage of people smoke in the first place? To lose 50% of your business due to this it would mean that at least 50% of your customer smoke and have now decided not to come any longer. That seems very high. I'm not saying it's untrue... but it's exceptional enough that I personally won't believe it until I see some substantial proof. > Then that means you have lost smoking customers. Again, there seems to be no proof of this. The article in question presents only anecdotal evidence. > It also means that those smoking customers whom you have lost, have > *not* been replaced with non-smoking customers. > > Part of the reasoning for the ban was that there were thousands of > non-smokers that do not frequent bars and restaurants because of the > smoke,ergo if there was no smoking these people would patronise these > institutions. That wasn't in the wording of the bill however and wasn't a "reason". The bill specifically, right or wrong, targets "safe workplace" conditions. It is in no way a bill designed to drum up non-smoking business. I'm sure somebody will take it upon themselves to do peer reviewed studies of this and we'll have some real facts but until then you have one group making a lot of noise and generating a lot of bogus research FOR the ban and others doing everything they can to show they've been hurt by it. The truth, as always, will probably lie someplace in the middle. As an aside this is just an old argument wrapped in a new cloth. With the modern ability to travel easily to other areas the differences in statutes have often been points of contention. And these arguments almost always center on our vices. Stores on the northern MA border, for example, have long claimed that they lose business to "Tax Free New Hampshire" while stores on the NH border have enjoyed spikes in business. Businesses near Reservations have always complained about the ability of Native shops to undercut them by offering Tax free gas, cigarettes and alcohol. Strip clubs in some states areas will allow "touching" while those in the neighboring state are forbidden to do so. Even national borders can cause friction. I grew up near Niagara Falls. The Canadian side offered many commodities cheaper (Gas, food, etc) than the American side. Then the Canadians put in casinos (illegal on the NY side). While the American businesses withered and died the Canadian businesses 100 yards away flourished. Hell - they even have the better view of the falls. ;^) Another example is that Canada's drinking age is lower than the US. Road Trips to Canada for beer are a major event at most schools near the border. Mexico's and Nevada's policies on prostitution are also cases in point. I'm not saying I have a solution (hell, I'm not even sure it's really a problem); I'm just pointing out that it's nothing new. Jim Davis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
