Traverse City Record-Eagle

Region

May 1, 2010

Expectations mixed with smoking ban

Area residents have mixed expectations

BY ART BUKOWSKI, and LINDSAY VANHULLE abukowski@record-eagle.com, lvanhulle@record-eagle.com

Traverse City — Tammy Arbuckle is curious to see how a statewide smoking ban will play out for area restaurant and bar staffers.

Arbuckle, a bartender and manager at Bootlegger's bar in downtown Traverse City, heard all the viewpoints as the ban was debated and eventually passed. Now that it's taken effect, she's concerned about policing people who want to "buck the system."

"What are we supposed to do if someone won't stop smoking?" she said Friday. "We call the police? It seems like such a process."

Most Michigan workplaces including bars and restaurants went smoke-free at 6 a.m. today. Some smokers, businesses and private clubs aren't happy about the ban, but state officials say most people support it because of its health benefits.

Citizens who note a smoking violation are asked first to contact the business owner or manager to deal with the problem. If that fails, a complaint can be filed with local health departments.

Fred Jones, 52, lit up at the bar in U&I Lounge in Traverse City on Friday, the last day he'd legally be able to do so. He's upset the ban was passed, and considers it an intrusion by the government.

The restaurant and bar ban means he won't be able to pick another place to eat and smoke, so he'll likely just go outside more.

"I don't have many choices," he said. "But I'll abide by the law. I don't want to get anybody in trouble, including myself."

Plenty of people are glad to see the ban arrive. Such a person is Sara Weatherholt, who ate lunch Friday at Bootlegger's.

"I'm happy to see it go into effect," she said. "I avoid some places because of the heavy smoke. I want to be able to come into a place like this and breathe and not have to go home and leave all my clothes in the garage."

Ryan Bischoff, of Traverse City, is a nonsmoker who makes his living as a disc jockey in local bars, so he's counted the days until the ban's arrival.

Smoke stains the padding on the inside of his turntable case. When he opened it at a recent City Opera House event, he said, "I actually apologized to a person next to me."

He and friends talked about going on a pub crawl tonight, but they might wait until the lingering smell dissipates.

"I'm pretty sure tonight people are going to go hog wild," Bischoff said Friday.

Dennis Byrd moved to Mancelona from Tennessee, where a similar law was enacted in 2007. He doesn't smoke.

Tennessee's rules exclude patios and decks, so long as smoke can't drift indoors or to a facility where it is banned. Byrd wouldn't mind if smoking was allowed on outdoor patios in Michigan. But indoors is a different story.

"I'm glad to see it come up," he said. "Everyone shouldn't have to breathe it."

Nonsmoker and Traverse City resident Doug Adams said the law will be difficult to enforce, and he believes people will light up anyway.

"The government's going overboard," he said. "Even though I don't smoke and I don't like to sit near smokers, I think they have the right."

Leah Pratt, a waitress at U&I, has mixed opinions.

"It will be less hassle when it comes to cleaning up, but it will be more of a hassle when it comes to keeping track of people," she said.

Pratt said keeping track of people who step outside to smoke could lead to difficulties when it comes to collecting payment.

But Pratt, who smokes when she works, believes the law will help her cut back on tobacco.

"Eventually, it will be positive," she said. "I definitely smoke more when I'm here."

The law comes with some notable exceptions. Gambling floors at Detroit's three casinos are exempt. So are 20 casinos run by Indian tribes, which aren't subject to the state law.

Cigar bars and tobacco specialty shops that meet certain criteria also are exempt.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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