9/11/08

[lonewolf]

Well, its been 3 months since Harrisburg put the statewide smoking ban into effect. Anybody notice any difference in their business?

All of the bars in Hollidaysburg affected by the ban are hurting...at least two of them are distressed and considering shutting down their restaurant operations.

As far as gigs go, I've only played in one nosmo king place (The Arena in State College) and business could have been a lot better.

Discuss.

[sunsetbass]

its hit or miss. i know there is a bar in cresson closing because of the smoking ban. i look at it this way, i am a non smoker. if you wanna lite up go right ahead. its you right to do so. if you don't like the smoke then either move or don't go there. there are more smokers in this world than non it seems. so why punish the majority because of the minority. (i hope that came out right )

[tornandfrayed]

Do you really think that there are more smokers then non? I must hang out with the wrong crowd cause I know very few people who smoke, or at least who admit to smoking...

Cigarettes.....

[DirtySanchez]

Do you really think that there are more smokers then non? I must hang out with the wrong crowd cause I know very few people who smoke, or at least who admit to smoking...

Cigarettes.....

30 people work in my office. At break time, 20 are outside smoking.

Cigarettes.

[skipisode]

To be honest, I haven't seen any dropoff at our shows regardless of the ban. Things seem about the same. Two of my bandmates smoke and they haven't complained, they just go outside on break. Many of the venues have actually put up areas for this. I'm sure some places have been hurt,
but I also believe the economy has contributed to this more than the smoking ban.

[BDR]

Of all of our venues, only two have been impacted by the "ban," ironically, both are in Altoona — Pelly's and 30 Something. But our crowds haven't suffered from it at either of these two places ... as a matter of fact, our crowds are growing at both.

Every place else we play has found a way around the legislation.

I smoke and it sucks to go outside to do it, but they kicked us outside at work several years ago — and they did it in the dead of winter — so to me it's only a minor inconvenience but one I'm used to.

r:>)

[bassist_25]

As Rob pointed out, most places we perform at have used the loopholes. Either the places don't serve much food - if any at all - or they decided that having smoking was more important to their sales than having people under 18 eating there.

We've played Pelly's twice since the ban, and the crowds were good both times. Thirty Something has been pretty good, but it has definitely become a more difficult room since the ban. It's kept us on top of our game. We played the Arena this past Friday and the room was pretty full. But of course, I've always said that you can't generalize what occurs in State College to the surrounding areas. It's so cosmpolitan and is really a different universe than Blair County or Cambria County. For every smoker who decides not to go out, there's probably 25 smokers willing to take that person's place.

With that said, I don't have any empiricial evidence, but I'm willing to bet that falling gas prices have had a lot to do with people coming out to the clubs again. Even if people's 401(k)s went down the shitter this year, they have more cold, hard cash in their wallets because three-quarters of their paychecks aren't going into the tank just to get to work anymore.

But as a nonsmoker, I definitely don't miss playing smoke-filled rooms. I still think it was a bad decision from a business standpoint and was an issue the government shouldn't have stuck its nose into.

[Jim Price]

It's still tough to get an overall read on the smoking ban's impact, since not all places are affected (yet) and the economic woes are likely keeping some folks away as well.

From what I've seen, it's hit or miss, given the situation. It seems the venues and bands that already had good crowds beforehand are holding on to them regardless of the ban; I haven't seen any major dropoff in those situations. But on nights when new or unestablished bands are playing, the smoking ban probably is a factor that is keeping more folks away.

I personally know a few folks that aren't around as much. I know one friend who is a heavy smoker, who hasn't been to Pellegrine's for Monday wing night since the ban went into affect. His girlfriend, who also smokes, hasn't been there either. I know another person or two who now go to smoking bars or private clubs instead of places that had to ban smoking.

If (when) the ban eventually is expanded to include all bars and clubs, then we'll see just how much of a true impact it is having.

[Colton]

If (when) the ban eventually is expanded to include all bars and clubs...

Is going to happen? If you know anything, spill the beans JP!

[Jim Price]

The word is that legislators are trying to get the ban expanded to include all bars, restaurants and clubs. A lot of people believe it is going to eventually happen.

[Colton]

I dont think I'll have a problem with this until it hits private clubs. Then I'd have a BIG problem with it. If you have a private club, you should be able to do whatever the fuck you want inside, if you know what I mean. If you gotta sign a membership application or something, and it says the place "smoking facility", then...

gahhh...

[onetooloud]

I've done several shows at the arena, boy tough room. If you can pull over 175 people there and repeat that time and time again, your doing something right.

The band I've been there with usually pulls 200 to 300 people and more. Not there!

[moxham123]

Percentage of Population by State of Cigarette Smoking Prevalence Among Adults 18 And Older. These figures are based on the year 2005 statistics.

[Colton]

wow, i didnt realize there were that many smokers. 20~ percent isnt majority, but it sure as hell is more than i would have imagined!

[bassist_25]

wow, i didnt realize there were that many smokers. 20~ percent isnt majority, but it sure as hell is more than i would have imagined!

Another question you have to ask is what percentage of that 24% of smokers in PA are regular attendees of bars. It's possible that smoking and propensity to going out to clubs is confounded. That is, a larger percentage of smokers go out to bars or want to go out to bars than nonsmokers. Someone couldn't generalize and say that 24% of Pennsylvania smokes, so therefore 24% of the people going to clubs are smokers. Rather, it's could be possible that 63% of the bar-going public smoke. I'm not saying that's true, but it's something that I doubt the enlightened legislators in Harrisburg considered when passing the law.

...then again, it's no huge mystery that Rendell's a flaming idiot. We are talking about someone who thinks a 50 cent gas tax is a good idea.

[metalchurch]

Agreed Paul. I'm one of the 24% of smokers, but I rarely step foot inside a bar. Maybe, 2-3 times a year at most.

[JackANSI]

wow, i didnt realize there were that many smokers. 20~ percent isnt majority, but it sure as hell is more than i would have imagined!

Another question you have to ask is what percentage of that 24% of smokers in PA are regular attendees of bars. It's possible that smoking and propensity to going out to clubs is confounded. That is, a larger percentage of smokers go out to bars or want to go out to bars than nonsmokers. Someone couldn't generalize and say that 24% of Pennsylvania smokes, so therefore 24% of the people going to clubs are smokers. Rather, it's could be possible that 63% of the bar-going public smoke. I'm not saying that's true, but it's something that I doubt the enlightened legislators in Harrisburg considered when passing the law.

...then again, it's no huge mystery that Rendell's a flaming idiot. We are talking about someone who thinks a 50 cent gas tax is a good idea.

Thats what makes this even harder to gauge. I'd have to estimate that its a 60-70% majority in favor of smokers when looking at the bar-going crowd.

I think we've only played at one place the ban was in effect. Generally there has been a slight drop off in attendence, but I peg that more on the economy since we've been playing at places with smoking.




A worthless side story that turns into a rant; don't read this:
No offense to Electric Avenue, the gig just happened to be there. Great place and quick service (to me #3 of all time as far as good service), but we did a autism benefit there with other bands (had a really great time I might add). I wore my warmer-non-smoking-location jacket thinking we'd be in the area with the stage (thats non-smoking). Ended up in the back-bar area. The smoke was so thick at first I thought someone's fog machine had gone wacky, it was thick enough you had to swim through it. Then my eyes started to hurt and water really bad and I knew it was cigarette smoke.

The following monday and tuesday I wore the same jacket (after letting it air out the rest of the weekend) to work. Every time I left my office for 5 minutes and came back, it was like I walked into the EA again. Same smell of smoke, thick as ever. Tuesday night I washed the jacket, twice. Not because I'm that anal about clean laundry, but because I could still smell smoke in it.

I'll never understand why smokers insist on spending so much money on ruining their bodies, clothes, and other property that they just spent a pile of money purchasing. Let alone how they can be so sickeningly apathetic about ruining other peoples bodies, clothes, and property.

[PanzerFaust]

All I know is now that I'm an old turd I go out very rarely, but wow what an awsome thing to have no smoke in the bars..... I woke up the next morning and my hair/clothes/skin didn't reek of cigarette smoke.....

[Bag]

I'm a smoker and if the band is good enough, I'll go see them play in a smoke-free room. Doesn't bother me a bit to wait a set for a smoke. Or if, I don't know, say the band starts playing a, ummm, Miley Cyrus song or some shit, I can walk out then. At the bowling alley I part-time at in the winter, when it went smokeless we had a TON of people saying that they'd quit bowling and never come back. They're ALL back. (Well, except the ones who died of lung cancer!) And I gotta admit that the place is ALOT cleaner and nicer without all the burns in the carpet and ashes everywhere.

I do LOVE a good smoke with a beer though!

[RobTheDrummer]

Go the fuck outside and smoke, big deal. This issue is over.

[Naga]

I've been mostly in a smoke-still bar, but a few times, have ventured out to a smoke-free room. In short, it's a good feeling. I don't ultimately care if someone smokes, but I know it's good to get home and not have to double-wash the clothes I wore out. I also don't have to jump in the shower immediately, which to me is a good thing. I take enough time doing whatever else. Needless to say, I've liked the ban when I've taken advantage of it. I'm with JackANSI... I'm not overkill zealous about smoking and smokers, but breathing is nice too

[DirtySanchez]

Go the fuck outside and smoke, big deal. This issue is over.

U MAD, HUH ?

[RobTheDrummer]

Go the fuck outside and smoke, big deal. This issue is over.

U MAD, HUH ?

Is that caveman or indian speak?

Haha, It's really not a difficult issue if you think about it. Step outside for a few if you need a cig. I don't know why people would rather not go out now just because they can't smoke inside. It's really not a big deal in my mind.

[BDR]

I don't know why people would rather not go out now just because they can't smoke inside. It's really not a big deal in my mind.

It's effing cold out.

r:>)

[RobTheDrummer]

I don't know why people would rather not go out now just because they can't smoke inside. It's really not a big deal in my mind.

It's effing cold out.

r:>)

So? Wear a coat.