The recent failures of the anti-smoking movement covered here haven’t gone unnoticed by the mainstream press. The Associated Press ran an excellent story by Kristen Wyatt today discussing how economic fears have made lawmakers reluctant to pass smoking bans that would adversely impact struggling businesses.
Do read the whole thing, but I want to pull out this quote from Stanton Glantz:
“This whole economic argument is hogwash, scientifically, but that doesn’t mean it’s not politically useful,” said Dr. Stanton Glantz, director of the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at the University of California, San Francisco.
Glantz says reputable studies show indoor smoking bans do not hurt businesses, and he urged politicians to ignore complaints from bar owners that smoking bans will ruin them.
“There’s a growing realization that tobacco control is good for business — all businesses except for the tobacco companies,” Glantz said.
Having recently interviewed one smoke shop owner who laid off four employees following Oregon’s new smoking ban, you’ll have to forgive me for calling bullshit on that one. “All” businesses? We’ve been over this before. One can reasonably debate the affect smoking bans will have on the hospitality business in general, but there’s no denying that businesses specifically oriented toward smokers will lose revenue. These are not big tobacco companies. They’re small, boutique retailers, or owners of cigar bars. They deserve to be counted. For Glantz to claim that their worries are scientifically unfounded tarnishes his reputation as a scientist.
Previously:
Smoking ban stupidity
Last night of smoking at the Horse Brass
Jacob Grier is a freelance writer, barista, mixologist, and magician in Portland, OR. He writes, eats, and drinks a lot. His articles have appeared in The Washington Post, Reason Online, The Oregonian, and other publications.
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