Bar owners complain about smoking ban

Local bar owners try to put ban on ballot despite initial failure.

By Grace Clarke, Reporter
April 10, 2007

Some Columbia bar and restaurant owners claim January's ban on smoking in their establishments has taken a toll on business and affected patronage by Columbia's citizens.

Despite this claim, a movement by the owners to put the ban on the ballot is behind schedule.

Becky Reynolds of Cody's and Betty Hamilton of the Tiger Club began gathering signatures to repeal the ban in February. The owners hoped to have the required 2,276 signatures by March 31 so voter totals in the April 3 election would not bump up the number of signatures needed. Reynolds said the owners did not meet their deadlines and blamed the shortage on a few bar owners who threw away signed petitions.

"I'm assuming they were tired of messing with it," Reynolds said.

Reynolds and Hamilton plan to try "new directions" in an effort to gather the more than 1,000 signatures needed.

The ban, which passed the Columbia City Council 4-3 in October, took effect Jan. 9.

Once the signatures are gathered, the statute changes in the petition will go to the City Council.

"Once the signatures are gathered and the petition is submitted, it's verified to see if they have the correct number of qualified registered voters," City Council Clerk Sheela Amin said. "Assuming they will, it will go to council. If council votes against it, it goes to the vote of the people at the next eligible election, but if council passes it, it's a done deal."

Opposition from volunteer efforts and small interest groups haven't given Reynolds and Hamilton any grief.

"Everyone's business is down," Reynolds said. "All we can do is hope and pray."

Reynolds said her business has seen a significant drop in customers since the ban went into effect.

"At the very least, 200 people a week don't show up," she said. "Where are all these non-smokers that promised to show up and make up the difference? We're all down. There are businesses that have closed already and probably more to follow."

Some local restaurants and bars, such as the Bull Pen Cafe, have already closed their doors, citing loss of business because of the smoking ban as the reason.

"We have really loyal customers, so I think we're safe," said Olivia Trueblood, G&D Pizza & Steaks waitress and MU sophomore. "I have friends who lost their waitressing jobs when bars downsized or closed, and I definitely hear complaints from people I'm serving that they can't smoke."

The smoke-free indoor air ordinance implemented in January is intended to protect patrons and employees from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke and to ensure food quality. But some customers continue to voice their own concerns while business owners are left dismayed and troubled.

"I've always been able to smoke in bars," G&D customer Diane Morris said. "Bars and cigarettes kind of go together for me and for most of the people I'm out with, so this new ban has been a huge pain for us, especially because it's been so cold. No one wants to stand outside and smoke."

Despite negativity from the smoking population, others found the health benefits refreshing.

"I'm an asthmatic," said Laurence Lile, a local ventilation engineer and anti-smoking activist. "It's very difficult for me to go to a place that's filled with smoke, so I've had a lot more freedom to be able to go places. I think it's a wonderful improvement."

Lile said he thought many more customers in Columbia establishments were non-smokers than smokers, and owners should go with what most of their customers want.

Data from 2005 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed 23.4 percent of Missouri adults smoked, a higher percentage than the national 20.6 percent.

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Bar owners complain about smoking ban

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