How will the smoking ban affect pool halls, and billiards in general?

Question

illinois has a statewide smoking ban, starting jan 1st 08. i am a non-smoker myself, and do not agree with it. I believe if anything, each establishment should have to set up and maintain smoke eaters, to the square foot of their rooms. Poolhalls and bars with tables and without tables, cannot take this hit! i know a few of my really good friends who enjoy playing, will stay at home and play, so they can have their cigs. There are many many small hometown bars, which i see them loosing 75% of their business because of this. I know some will say, they can stepoutside and smoke, which is true, but for the trouble of going outside every 15 minutes, fighting the weather, unsafe outside at some places. People will get tired of that, and make a habit of staying home, or to a friends house. What about leagues? At 1996 us open, i bet more than 1/2 of the players stood outside, just to smoke everyday. can billiards take another hit at this point in struggling time. What will happen to bca pop?

Im up for any suggestions, thoughts on the matter. Im not sure of other states laws about smoking, but it will hit your state soon as well. Im very curious and nervous fot the SPORT:), to how this will play out. My very best friends run almost all of tournys, and huge!!! league. i will get the percentages form them, and look up the % of bca to calculate the drop in % of players, off next year. Fine is $100-$250 per offence, and fine gets bigger the more times you get caught. Only realistic option to make everyone happy, is to have smoke eater standard that must be followed? because there is no way the government, will change a smoking ban bill, once it has passed, and inforced. Is my smokeater standard idea a solution? i dont know, but i would love to petetion the idea, in a short film, to the government. im willing 2 start a website, if people will help, and get the word out. google ZIMS RACK mike or danny will help im sure, as they run huge leagues, and mike makes custom cues.

Answer 1

There has been a smoking ban in effect for a few years where I live.

At first it definitely had a negative impact on business. After an adjustment period of maybe a few months I would say it was pretty much back to normal. In fact a lot of places do much better business now than before. Leagues are also doing better than ever as well.

Many non-smokers started becoming regulars that would not have done so earlier, and the die hard fans of the game will continue to play and will get used to the smoking ban. I am a smoker and at first I hated the ban, but I am so used to it now I can hardly remember what it was like to smoke in the pool halls before.

The only problem is if only some places are forced to go non-smoking, and others are not. If everyone is on an even playing field people will adjust.

Answer 2

I live in Madison, WI and a couple of years back a city-wide smoking ban was placed on all public places. Since then, a few specialty cigar bars have managed to be exempt from the ban. In any case, the largest pool hall in Madison at the time, The Green Room, moved out of the city limits because business was being hurt badly by the ban. They built a brand new building in the adjacent villiage of Middleton under the new name, The Blue Chalk Club. They closed up shop yesterday. Even though smoking was allowed at the Middleton location, I can't honestly say which factors contributed to the shutdown. I'd like to think that it wasn't a lack of interest in pool. In any case, I've never had a cigarette in my life (enjoy the occasional cigar though) and I have seen a drop in business in pool halls and bars alike in the city limits of Madison. A lot of people just started going to the bar a few blocks away outside the city limits. Some of the Madison bars set up special outdoor patios and smoking areas separate from the public and that did draw some business back. For purely selfish reasons, I enjoy the lack of smoke and the shorter lines, but as a die hard free market capitalist, I can't in good conscience say I agree with wholesale bans on smoking. I'd like to own my own bar someday and I know full well that people are going to smoke. It's a bar, not a health club. I apologize if I'm insulting anyone here reading this, but I still think that the vast majority of research on the effects on second-hand smoke is sketchy and biased. Something that effects this many people should be on a referendum on a ballot, not the sole decision of a handful of city council members. This is just another reason why I'm opposed to the over-involvement of governement in the regulation of small-businesses. It's hard enough for small-business owners to make a go of it with the taxes imposed on them without having to deal with some guilty do-gooder in office telling them what can and can't do within the law in their own establishment. M.D.-BCA Instructor/Referee.

Answer 3

The smoking decision should be up to the proprietor. As Johnny and others say, it will hurt their livelihood.
I do not smoke now (but I did for 20 years) so I really can't say in good conscious that it should be banned in certain establishments.
I would think that poolrooms would be the least likely this rule would be forced upon. There is an age limit with many. And some won't allow kids in without a parent after a certain time.
It's kinda hard making part of the room non-smoking.

Answer 4

Well if this pool hall has lots of smokers then odds are kiss it goodbye. Despite what others have said it really isn't true. An undisputable FACT is that when smoking bans are in place over 50% of bars/pool halls/places where smokers are expected go out of business. People can say what they want, but this is FACT just google it. Don't fall into that stupid trap of I have the right to clean air no you don't you dont own the air! If that were the case I would demand every car/suv/truck in this country be stopped for polluting my clean air. Bottom line is I don't own the air so I can't make that argument.

Answer 5

Even though they will ban smoking, I don't think many people will stay out forever, I can see them staying out for a while in the beginning, but it will not cut business drastically, on the long run. it will to some degree.
I cannot see having a drink without a cig, or playing pool without one. In some cases, where you have a bar, I am sure you are going to have problems, drinking, and you telling them not to smoke, like it's your own decision.
When they raised the prices of cigs, there were people who quit, but, sooner or later they started smoking again, even if it was at a lower level.
One thing I was never able to stand was when people used to leave thir cigs, on table, or getting ashes all over, or burning cloths, or even messing up the top of the rail.
Many times the cig was left there intentionally, to distract you even for one minute, while you told the guy to take it away.
Part of many ways to try and distract.
why should there be a pool hall without smoking, or any place, some guys can't even shoot without a cig, like me, I have to have one lit.
There is no way I am going to drink, and not smoke, I wouldn't cause problems for the establishment over it, but there will be guys getting drunk, and causing problems.
I think California has the ban for a while now, and I would like to hear how everyone is handling it there.
Most of our rights are being taken away, wether it's healthy or not, it should be your choice to smoke, and maybe let the non smoker go find the no smoking place.
Big brother is here, and we don't even realize it.

Answer 6

Hey Bud You just about answered your own question it will cause a great loss of players and patrons alike In my bar not including pool players I would just close the door times are bad enough already -You would think they would give the option to the owner like you said and advertise smoking or not im sure it bothers a lot of people I went a couple of rounds with a A hole and a cigar a couple of weeks ago myself and i smoke 2 packs a day He was just being a PR about it said he liked to smell it so F me---He wound up on the floor with it stuck up his nose so he could really smell it
But yes it will kill a lot of places not just poolrooms

Hey Bone my email is still not working ?? dont know why yet .But so far so good for Texas but it prob is coming i wonder about the Casinos in those states .Utah has the option of a smoking and none smoking rooms in restaurants but that would be hard to apply to poolrooms I would think because of the cost for most places I would not do it at my place
I would still think it should be up to the owner -Hey at least it would be 1 house rule I wouldnt mind

Answer 7

Do not smoke and really do not like it but do not really have a problem with it until I leave and take the smell with me.....but that's what showers are for....if you can't stand the smoke in the pool hall then stay out is what I would say......some of the newer places have a really great AC system that takes care of my only great objection...the smell......just have to remember to go wash my face/eyes and not to rub them when they get irritated....but still just minor and this would really effect the business.....do no like the smoke but live with it !

Answer 8

As a non smoker, I find the ban unconstitutional. As an american, I say if someone really wants to smoke, then let them.