Madison recently enacted a mandatory smoking ban in all public places, such as bars and restaurants. Naturally, the bar owners are screaming bloody murder about the whole proposition. Some have even gone to such lengths as to lay off bartenders and blame it solely on depressed attendance. (Of course, the month of July is typically some 'dead time' for Madison, with ~40,000 party- and bar-prone students absent over the summer.) Recent polls have had conflicting results about public support for the initiative. City leaders' resolve is waffling and they are proposing that the public decide the issue on a referendum in a few months.
Now, I'm all for admitting that there very well may be depressed attendance from chain smokers. But you know what? I think that it's a better deal for everyone else in that bar, especially employees that secondhand-smoke a few packs a day. It seems that doctors at the UW agree. Also, from driving through town on Friday and Saturday nights, I'm still seeing popular bars get flooded with people; so much so that lines spill out for more than half a block.
All I have to say is that it's well worth revisiting a great Bloom County strip on the issue. And maybe in a month, after the buildings have had three months to let their air clear out, I'll be able to go bowling again without having a terrible allergic reactions.
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