Study Finds Some Second-Hand Smoke Befeficial...

or so the legislators that crafted the new partial smoking ban apparently believe. The growing prevalence of smoking bans across the nation is detailed in this Wikipedia article here. The ban specific to Pennsylvania allows for exceptions in taverns and bars where food is less than 20% of their revenue. The General Assembly is apparently not only concerned with the health of patrons of bars and restaurants being that this is the case. An element of social engineering is involved in a situation where the amount of food sold dictates whether or not smoking is permitted, creating an uneven playing field which will add to the number of smokers in these types of establishments. Not to mention ignorance of the poor economic climate.

Think about it. Smokers, in making their decision on where to go out for the evening, will collectively be directed towards establishments where they will be allowed to continue smoking. Bars in the South Side, which by and large derive little income from food, will likely see more smokers. Non-smokers and smokers alike will have to be more dodgy in order to avoid getting burned too! But more to the point, restaurants in areas with large number of bars like Nakama in the South Side and Kaya and others in the Strip District stand to potentially lose some smokers as customers.

So unfortunately, the GA has created an incentive for some restaurants that are on the borderline to downplay their food items and increase bar revenue. It's a perverse incentive though because that bar revenue will be subject to the new Onorato tax on poured drinks.

The bottom line to this issue is that well-positioned bars are going to do well. Bars / restaurants that get less than 20% of their income from food near other bars that will be subject to the ban stand to make some gains. I wish I owned one because I think their value as businesses just went up. At least until their is a repeal of the ban or a fair, total smoking ban.