There's a good article in this week's City Pages about the proposed smoking ban. Ironically enough, the owner of Bryant Lake Bowl, Kim Bartmann, testified in favor of implementing a ban in Minneapolis, even though there's been smoking in her establishment. If the benefits of the ban are that important to her, then why didn't she make her business smoke free as soon as she became aware of the dangers of second-hand smoke, instead of waiting for a law to be passed?
We mentioned our story on the smoking ban last month. http://www.swjournal.com/articles/2004/05/14/news/news02.txt
We weren't able to put Bartmann's full explanation in. It gets at why regulation is needed to help businesses do what they want to do (or conversely, why a lack of regulation perpetuates a relatively unpopular policy.)
Anyway, here's the relevant transcript from the interview:
Kim Bartmann
Q: Is it true you are supportive of the ban?
A; It is true. I would prefer that they passed it at the state level. It is inevitable. It is happening all around the country. It is a health issue.
Q: You have smoking at Bryant Lake Bowl and restricted smoking hours at Barbetter?
A: Yes. I am nervous about making the Bowl non smoking. Although we are the only bowling alley in a lot of categories, even nationally, the Bowl is really struggling right now. I can’t risk what would happen. That said, any industry stuff that I have read about the smoking ban issue in other communities is that restaurant sales increase when smoking bans take effect.
So I don’t really understand why the MNLBA is lobbying so hard against the smoking ban.
Q: MNLBA?
A: The Minnesota Licensed Beverage Association. I am probably not saying it right.
Q: So you would like to do it for the Bowl, except if you did it unilaterally it would hurt your sales but if it was citywide it would actually go up?
A: I wouldn’t summarize what I said that way. But essentially, I mean, I believe sales would go up, but I still, because the Bowl as a business is struggling, I can’t take any risks. If the playing field is leveled, I believe everyone will benefit.
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