By Angela Marshall
The Nassau County Legislature is considering banning smoking in all bars and restaurants.
Restaurant and bar employees have the right to work in a smoke-free environment, said Legis. Roger Corbin (D-Westbury), deputy presiding officer. While the county passed smoking restrictions back in 1998, we believe it is time to take a stronger stance on this health issue.
Johnson, a non-smoker, used to live in California where bars are smoke free and he liked it. It's the best move [the legislature] could make, he said, even as a customer in his bar said she would start drinking beer in her living room if the ban is passed.
I definitely see it affecting the business right away, Johnson said. But he feels overtime smokers will get used to it and the people who avoided bars because of the smoke will start coming too.
Johnson's enthusiasm for the ban is not shared by Robert Mione, of the Baby Grand, a cigar bar and dance club on Sunrise Highway. Mione is extremely concerned about the impact such a ban would have on his business.
It would definitely put the nails in our coffin, he said, because it would effectively end the biggest money-generating portion of his business, the cigar bar.
Mione and his customers are sending letters objecting to the ban to the legislature.
It makes absolutely no sense. A bar is a place to drink and smoke. They go together.
Mione's point of view received some unlikely support. Patrick Groarke, a non-smoker, believes the ban is an infringement of people's rights. We begin to socially engineer culture.
Groarke is not impressed with the legislature's argument that bar employees' health is at stake. All jobs come with risks, he said. If you are an iron worker, you can fall off a scaffold and die.
According to the American Cancer Society, second-hand tobacco smoke is responsible for 63,000 deaths each year in the United States and is linked to the development of childhood asthma.
Of course, not all non-smokers agree with Groarke. The man eating dinner with him at Harry Burkes kept telling him to be quiet, saying he wants the ban because food tastes better without smoke.
The Democrats on the legislature sent out a joint press release supporting the ban.
It was not as well received by the Republicans. Edward Ward, spokesperson of the legislative Republicans, said the Republicans feel the ban is unfair to business owners who spent thousands of dollars altering their restaurants to comply with the legislature's 1998 law.
In 1998, legislators passed a law requiring separate ventilation for smoking areas. Bars and bar areas are exempt.
The Suffolk County Legislature and the New York City Council are also considering a smoking ban.
Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury), presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, said she is working closely with Suffolk and NYC leaders to create a regional approach to the ban.
Lisa Caroccia is the general manager of three Rockville Centre restaurants, Dodici, Blue Moon and Monti's. Blue Moon is already non-smoking. The others have a smoking section, but Caroccia doesn't think a ban would affect business.
A person that likes to dine out, likes to dine out, she said.
