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by dumpstermcnuggets
on Sun Jul 22, 2007 8:56 am |
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Interesting article I found about Clovis, New Mexico(which is a large town in eastern New Mexico, and right against the border with Texas, which has NO statewide smoking ban at all). Not to mention, to my knowledge, the only places that've passed smoking bans at all in western Texas are Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, and El Paso(the first 3 have various exemptions in them, including a bar exemption, though El Paso's ban doesn't, and was also one of the first 'comprehensive' bans passed anywhere in the USA. It also has been killin' El Paso businesses for 5 years now, lol!!).
Heh, something tells me that these customers have just crossed the border! To Texas, that is.......  (and especially to Amarillo, TX, where voters in that city voted down a smoking ban proposal on the ballot in 2005!) http://www.newschannel10.com/global/story.asp?s=6740634
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Smoking Ban Slows Business
Dollars are disappearing from some New Mexico businesses now that smoking is illegal in bars and restaurants. The backlash is severe for one Clovis bar owner who says he's lost about half his customers.
NewsChannel 10's Marissa Bagg reports on where the smokers are going and what this means for bar business long term.
It's only been two weeks since the smoking ban went into effect, but the negative impact on bars was immediate and shows no sign of letting up.
"When it first went into effect, seven people at the bar got up and left to go to a private club just because of cigarettes," says Craig Pettigrew, owner of Praince's Lounge.
Those customers left with their wallets and haven't been back.
"Our business has gone down a lot," says Monica Padilla, a waitress at the Lounge.
"Our tips are down, we get a bonus if we do a certain amount of money. I haven't had a bonus in over two weeks. I may have to get a second job because the tips are lousy," says Linda Kelm, who bartends at Prince's.
Mondays use to bring big business to Prince's Lounge, but that all changed on June 15th. There are 15 to 20 less people in the bar right now because of the smoking ban.
"Have you noticed less people?" "Oh there's way less people, this parking lot would be crowded," says Marie, who frequents the bar.
And loyal customers who do smoke have no choice by the head outside.
"Sitting outside smoking it's too hot in the summer, it's too cold in the winter -- it's ridiculous," says Padilla.
Or they don't come out at all.
"I just stay home more often," says Marie.
Leaving Pettigrew few options to get people back.
We're talking about building a patio or letting people smoke next door in cantina but we can't do that, so i don't know what we're going to do," says Pettigrew.
Pettigrew says he hasn't had any new 'non-smoking' customers come in since the ban. But he hopes that'll change once people get use to the law. |
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dumpstermcnuggets
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Nov 06, 2006
Posts: 232
Location: Health Fascism Capital of the Midwest, Illinois
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by linkup
on Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:32 pm |
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| Businesses are losing smoking customers throughout the smoking ban States,but the majority of news media Fuvk offs are avoiding and treating the issue as acceptable collateral damage.Nazi sympathizers! |
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linkup
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Oct 01, 2005
Posts: 1201
Location: Anywhere but here
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