Smoking Ban: bad for your bands's health???

dulouz · #1 04-09-2008, 07:16 AM

Iowa lawmakers just passed a bill to ban smoking in all bars and food establishments. My question is to all of you that have gone through a ban such as this, what will this do to the local bar music scene?

sir juice · #2 04-09-2008, 07:20 AM

Essentially it's changed very little, IME people just smoke outside, then come in when someone's actually playing.

*smb · #3 04-09-2008, 07:21 AM

It hasn't made a big difference around here other than there perpetually being a group of people hanging around by the door.

mothmonsterman · #4 04-09-2008, 07:26 AM

Shouldn't change much at all, it changed almost nothing places where it's already been implemented.
An plus i like a smoke now and then, but long sets in a packed bar, kinda make my hack and cough for a few days after, it's a good thing IMO.

People will still go to a pub to drink, you can't smoke in a McDonalds but people still eat there.

IanStephenson · #5 04-09-2008, 07:27 AM

Like the others have said. Places are just as busy while we're playing, but as soon as we go on a break the place is instantly deserted while everyone dashes outside to smoke.

We also noticed that a couple of the places we play have problems with their drains... never noticed until the smoking ban.

Ian

WRBass · #6 04-09-2008, 07:31 AM

It may improve business. Now, the people who can't tolerate cigarette smoke will go to the bars.

metalbass66 · #7 04-09-2008, 07:42 AM

in minnesota there is an exception for musicians on stage. we can smoke all we want.

Ole Rumblekat · #8 04-09-2008, 07:42 AM

In the short run, a smoke free club is a good thing. Fewer and fewer young people smoke, and they will appreciate the clean air and come back again next week. In the long run smoke free is a good thing. Maybe more Americans will live longer and still be enjoying the music scene in their 60s. Gotta preserve the fans.

treromantic · #9 04-09-2008, 07:43 AM

It's been good here in Canada's Capital. My clothes and equipment don't get as dirty now. People (bar owners) were up in arms for a while, but since smokers are "more social"

they kept on coming out, and now people who can't stand smoke can come to bars. I read here about Chicago's (i think) sitchiation being slightly different in that they banned smoking and now want to implement a permit $y$tem for bars (read: cash grab).

JKT · #10 04-09-2008, 08:01 AM

In my town after the smoking ban, there were a very few places that got a special license. These couple place were designated as "cigar bars" On eof these places was a very well known blues venue and back when we got the band together we broke out due to getting on their open mic roster and ultimately getting booked there.

After a couple years it occurred to us that all the people who went there we rarely saw anywhere else at any of our other shows. It was just an average paying, really,really unhealthy, internal conflict causing gig with exactly the same audience everytime. And our gear,and clothes stunk.
We decided it wasn't worth it.

JKT

Juniorkimbrough · #11 04-09-2008, 08:04 AM

it's recently been implemented in a few towns we play........I personally like it because I dont' wake up the next morning feeling terrible and my clothes and gear don't stink. I have seen it affect the crowd size at some places and not at all in other places.

jgroh · #12 04-09-2008, 08:43 AM

I just went to a small local bar/restaurant that occasionally has small acts play on the weekends. We go mainly for the food as its great and reasonably priced. People would smoke in there but again, the food and service were worth it to me (on occasion).

Well we walk in and there is a "Thank You For Not Smoking" sign with a "new policy" sheet next to it. It was fantastic and guess what, the place was packed. The smokers just ducked outside when they wanted to smoke, then came back in to enjoy the food and music. I think we will be going back there a lot more now.

jomahu · #13 04-09-2008, 09:23 AM

your vocalists and your gear will love you, and your clothes will only smell of stank and funk.

metalbass66 · #14 04-09-2008, 09:29 AM

unless of course your vocalist smokes

NKUSigEp · #15 04-09-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dulouz

Iowa lawmakers just passed a bill to ban smoking in all bars and food establishments. My question is to all of you that have gone through a ban such as this, what will this do to the local bar music scene?

It's done absolutely nothing - only the most serious chain-smokers are staying home just so they can smoke which is an extremely small number, maybe 1 or 2 less people in the bar than previous to the ban.

roberthelpus · #16 04-09-2008, 09:39 AM

Oh Boy

This topic caused quite a stir on a local music board, and still does. Here's my I am a stupid smoker but trying tyo be objective take on the business aspects that were discussed.

The ban apparently has had a negative impact on the bar/club buisiness that varies from club to club of course. If you are hurting already, like some places it could be enough to hammer in the last nail. Venues with an outdoor area are definitely seeing more biz and if thery are heated in the winter all the better.

Now y'all have to realize that Northern Kentucky is part of the Greater Bootsynnati area and they don't have the ban, and there's been plenty of talk of folks crossing the Ohio to go there.

Now this all comes from anecdotal evidence, but I believe that there is enough of it to back the idea that there actually has been some negative effect. Coupled with the mess that the entire industry is in right now it is enough to hurt some folk's bottom line.

My personal take would have been to have smoking licenses that would be handled similarly to liquor licenses. Dole them out to have approximately half of the public entertainment establishments smoking and half non. That way everyone would have a choice in the matter. Wouldn't that be the free market way?

maxgrant · #17 04-09-2008, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roberthelpus

Oh Boy

This topic caused quite a stir on a local music board, and still does. Here's my I am a stupid smoker but trying tyo be objective take on the business aspects that were discussed.

The ban apparently has had a negative impact on the bar/club buisiness that varies from club to club of course. If you are hurting already, like some places it could be enough to hammer in the last nail. Venues with an outdoor area are definitely seeing more biz and if thery are heated in the winter all the better.

Now y'all have to realize that Northern Kentucky is part of the Greater Bootsynnati area and they don't have the ban, and there's been plenty of talk of folks crossing the Ohio to go there.

Now this all comes from anecdotal evidence, but I believe that there is enough of it to back the idea that there actually has been some negative effect. Coupled with the mess that the entire industry is in right now it is enough to hurt some folk's bottom line.

My personal take would have been to have smoking licenses that would be handled similarly to liquor licenses. Dole them out to have approximately half of the public entertainment establishments smoking and half non. That way everyone would have a choice in the matter. Wouldn't that be the free market way?

Dude, like 20 posts in you jump up to completely contradict what everyone else has said -- which has been the factually observed result everywhere a smoking ban has been employed, which is that all that yammering and whining and crying has been for naught.

Do you have numbers? or is this just pure anecdote?

roberthelpus · #18 04-09-2008, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

It's done absolutely nothing - only the most serious chain-smokers are staying home just so they can smoke which is an extremely small number, maybe 1 or 2 less people in the bar than previous to the ban.

Wow NKUSigEp that's too coincedental that you posted (probably) about the same time I was writing mine.

I've talked or read from too many folks in bands that say different. Some who have gone to the effort to talk to club owners, and employees, along with foks like alcohol distributors. Please bear in mind that I'm not saying that the ban is the end of the world, but it has had a significant impact in the area. So has the fact that a lot of folks are staying home to enjoy their electronic thingamajigs instead of burning expensive gas.

Spring is here and I am amazed to see that there are actually some kids playing outside. Kinda kills my standard joke about "I know there are kids living in my neighborhood, because sometimes I see them going from the mini-van to the house."

Know what I'm saying

roberthelpus · #19 04-09-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxgrant

Dude, like 20 posts in you jump up to completely contradict what everyone else has said -- which has been the factually observed result everywhere a smoking ban has been employed, which is that all that yammering and whining and crying has been for naught.

Do you have numbers? or is this just pure anecdote?

Well the first post was at Today, 08:16 AM and I am post number 16.

Do you have numbers? Do you have numbers for my area?

Smoking is bad for ya. Alcohol is bad for ya. One of these things is allowed to be enjoyed in establishments that are specially licensed to provide that commodity in my state. The other isn't. You also have the choice to not go to places where that damaging substance is being partaken of.

Furthermore it hasn't stopped me from going anywhere that I want to go. So I am not whining about it. Just offering an alternative viewpoint about what the effects of the ban have been in my neck of the woods.

smakbass · #20 04-09-2008, 09:59 AM

We now have a smoking ban here as well, until last week bars could have a smoking room that had to be ventilated seperately from the rest of the bar. Lots of Bar owners are a bit choked cause they invested alot of money into these rooms but thats the way the political winds blow I guess....

Either way the Bar I was playing in last weekend was still very busy. Smokers just ducked outside had their smoke in a lil group 3 metres from the door (thats part of the law too). Then ducked back in.