"Smoking Bans Don't Hurt Restaurants" - California

Maryland Legislators Challenged to Find a Single Restaurant

Which Failed Due to Golden State's Total Smoking Ban

Legislators claiming that Maryland's restaurants will be forced out of business unless exempted from a smoking ban are ignoring the experience in California, where smoking has been banned in all restaurants large and small, with or without liquor licenses for more than two months. "The restaurant and tourist businesses are booming in California, and I challenge any Maryland legislator or lobbyist to find a single restaurant which has been forced out of business or any convention which has been canceled because of the smoking ban," says John Banzhaf, Executive Director of Action on Smoking and Health.

Indeed, says Banzhaf, very precise studies tracking taxable revenues prove that smoking bans don't hurt restaurant sales, and surveys even show that smoking bans tend to attract more customers than they lose. Some jurisdictions have banned all smoking in restaurants for years, so we have lots of long-term experience in addition to the clear track record in California since the first of the year. Other businesses which cater to tourists and which have banned smoking including many international airlines, trains, and destinations from Disneyland to Williamsburg have shown again and again that smoking bans are good business.

"Legislators should not be stampeded into gutting the new smoking regulations by underhanded and deceptive tactics Consumer Reports exposed in great detail months ago," argues Banzhaf. "Deaths caused by secondhand tobacco smoke are real massive defections of customers caused by smoking bans are not!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 13, 1995

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL: John Banzhaf (202) 659-4310

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