Huffing over puffing - ban on smoking in bars and restaurants gets mixed reviews

Byram - The unadulterated aroma of brewing coffee and sizzling bacon filled the nostrils of the patrons of the Byram Diner on Route 206 as they waited to fill their stomachs on the second day of the implementation of New Jersey Smoke-Free Act. No longer would the perfume of cooking Taylor ham be commingled with the curling swirls of smoke from lighted cigarettes. At several eateries and watering holes around the county, the ban on smoking that took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, met with mixed reviews. While many, especially non-smokers, welcomed the breath of fresh indoor air, others saw the ban as another infringement on personal freedom; not only must smokers leave the premises to light up, they also must move at least 25 feet from the entrance to the building. Everywhere, it seemed, was resentment and anger of the perceived unfairness of banning smoking everywhere but in the casinos of Atlantic City. The diner, which serves the early morning and lunch crowd where “regulars” linger over a third cup of coffee and another cigarette, showed no signs of customer resistance. “A lot of people are confused by the 25-foot requirement outside the entrance. They were asking where they were allowed to go,” said waitress Melodie Neubauer. The ban will eventually dictate the distance outside an entrance that smoking will be permitted. “I think you’re going to have people that complain, but I think there are more important issues like drugs or sex offenders. We should aggressively fight that,” she added. Bob Dillon, once a two-pack-a-day man, said, “I think that they should stop it in the casinos too. The state gets more from the casinos, but what’s fair for one should be fair for all. There should be no exemptions.” Neubauer agreed, “The casinos should be included. There should be no discrimination against the small business owner.” Rich Venes, also an ex-smoker, said, “I think I shouldn’t have to put up with the second-hand smoke. However, it seems to me you should be able to have a place for smoking.” Fred Braun, who said he stopped smoking years ago, was angered by the ruling, “I don’t think they should have a right to tell us what to do. Isn’t this a free country?” he asked. “What’s going to be next?” The patrons at Krogh’s Restaurant at White Deer Plaza at Lake Mohawk seemed unconcerned about the ban. With the dinner crowd starting to arrive, the bar was filled with people enjoying a cocktail. Owner Karen Cipollone said she has not seen a drop in business, and, in fact, feels the law will have a positive effect on her bottom line. “I think it’s great,” she said, “Families have said they will come back now that we’re smoke-free. There were no complaints, and we’re very pleased.” John Kostis saw otherwise. He said he will continue to smoke and said the “distance from the entrance” requirement will have him smoking “in the middle of the street.” “People have rights,” he said. Asked about the effects of second-hand smoke on others, he responded with a question of his own: “Then why don’t they stop the companies that make the cigarettes?” One customer joked that now his wife will be unaware that he’d been in a bar because “she won’t smell smoke on me.” At the Fone Booth in Franklin, about five patrons raised their cigarettes in a defiant salute outside the entrance to the establishment. “Smoking is my only vice; if I quit, I’ll be perfect,” said Donna Savage of Vernon. Then added, “It’s like big brother. Pretty soon we won’t have any rights.” Bartender Bobbie Pomykala said she’s already seen a drastic drop in business, and that when she removed the ashtrays from the bar at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday morning, half the customers left. “A lot of people were offended,” she said. Agreeing with Pomykala, customer Len Aupperlee said most of the patrons, some 80 percent, feel they should not have to give up their rights for the remaining 20 percent. “It’s killed business in this place,” she said, pointing to an empty dining room. At the George Inn on Route 94 in McAfee, owner Wooson Lee’s reaction to the legislation was positive. “Business has not changed,” she said, and she expects more families will become regular customers. But at the bar, Bruce Olson offered a dissenting opinion while sipping his beer. “I don’t think you could print my comments,” he said. Tony Villanova of Hamburg, who’s been a smoker for 23 years, said he will continue to be a customer but couldn’t understand how a business could sell cigarettes inside the building and “expect you to go outside to smoke them.” Joining ten other states, New Jersey’s smoking ban that began at midnight April 15 prohibits smoking in restaurants, bars, and most public places. Penalties for non-compliance for both a “person in charge” and patrons include a fine of not less than $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second, and $1,000 for each subsequent offense.