Battle Royale in Chi-Town: Part 2

As a follow-up to my post regarding the anti-smoking blanket in Chicago, which you can read here, I thought it would be appropriate to follow this story from all different perspectives. I know there are numerous smoking ban proposals in numerous cities of numerous states, however I’d feel like I’d be repeating myself should I try to draw attention to all of them. Considering that Chicago is where I spent most of my years growing up, I thought it to be best to direct my focus for future anti-smoking blanket rants there. With that said, lets draw our attention to the hospitality industry that could (and will) be affected should this smoking ban proposal pass.

According to a recent article published in the Chicago Sun-Times, a viewpoint from Steve Ridel (an executive director for the Illinois Licensed Beverage Association) showcases what type of impact a ban of this magnitude will hold on hospitality venues. As proposed, there would be a 25-foot ban from the outside of any business. As Steve points out, “Not only would hospitality businesses experience a severe decline in sales, we would have problems with our neighbors, as patrons would be outside smoking and making noise at all times of the night.” This is a very valid point, considering that many hotels and restaurants in the Chicago-land area are located neighboring residential buildings. I urge all of those in favor of this ban to put yourself in the position of one of the neighboring homeowners; it doesn’t paint a pretty picture, does it?

We’re all aware of the California smoking ban, along with the statistics that have been gathering for some time now. According to the California Board of Equalization, “sales tax revenue from liquor-pouring establishments grew 15 percent less than the rest of the economy after the enactment of smoking bans”, not to mention over 1,000 bars and restaurants closed within the first year of the ban. If we follow the statistics, there’s a simple pattern that evolves. Place a ban on smoking and you’ll see tax revenue decline, establishments will close, jobs are lost, and the cities will suffer. Twenty-six percent of all sales taxes collected by the city are generated from some type of hospitality establishment; start taking away that revenue and the city will pay.

There was a recent article published in Cigar Aficionado showcasing Chicago as one of the last great cigar cities in the nation. Hopefully with the outpouring of concern to Mayor Daley over this proposed ban, the powers that be will reach some type of compromise and Chicago will continue to flourish in the luxuries of a fine cigar.