[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

What about protecting the rights of workers to work in a smoke free environment? It's hard to run a bar with no staff. Or maybe they can just wear a big fishbowl-like "Neil Armstrong" spaceman helmet over their heads when they work, so they don't inhale any smoke.

Exactly, it's just not a safe work environment.

Originally Posted by AGDee

The ones who don't want to work in that environment choose to work in the places that remain smoke free?

Because jobs are so easy to find these days? Some places have managed to find an equilibrium, St. Louis is often one of those, where there are a significant number of smoke free restaurants so that there are actually choices. Even there I suspect most if not all 'bars' are not smoke free and there aren't options.

Originally Posted by Benzgirl

I go to St. Louis a few times a year on business where smoking in bars is still permitted. I like the food at Ruby Tuesday's, which is near my client and my hotel. I'll only go there at lunch but never at dinner because of the amount of smoke that pours into the restaurant from the bar. I can smell it in the non-smoking section and it plain disgusting. I'm not an employee but I won't be a patron of a place where I allow smoking.

It seems like it really depends on the area of town and the time of day in STL. But before 9 or 10 even the Hookah bar in the Loop doesn't allow indoor smoking. It's not a great situation there but the local restaurants wanted to avoid a ban imposed on them.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Take their business elsewhere?

I find it interesting that North Carolina of all places is one of only two states (I think) that bans smoking in bars and restaurants, and it's been relatively uncontroversial. Many if not most municipalities had banned it a long time ago.

*Waves from Illinois which is the (or another of the) states. Everyone here got over it by now. And those of us non-smokers love it.