An unnecessary ban

At first, I thought writing about the city's proposed smoking ban would be great. I could do some "research" at local bars, maybe hit up the last few Feb Club events and poll some wise, drunken seniors on the issue. My target group would be reasonable given that college students dine out frequently and that some of the most popular part-time jobs are bartending and waiting tables. Students would certainly be among those most affected by the ban.

It was only on my way to Smoke's with notebook in hand that I remembered I can't get in since I'm not 21. I guess the idiocy of America's drinking age is a topic for another Friday. Anyway, my research consequently had to take the less lively form of reading a bunch of studies, articles and surveys. Over the weekend, I came to the conclusion that through the power of shady quote selections and skewed statistics, it's probably possible to undo all existence or at least make the claim that Drexel's engineering school is better than Penn's. But I digress.

As far as the smoking ban goes, this much is uncontested: Philadelphia's proposed ban would make smoking in public places illegal. There, I said it. Try to prove me wrong, I dare you.

Although the ban would have an effect on bars and restaurants alike, the majority of the contention seems to arise from the restrictions on bars. Unlike most restaurants, few bars have enough space to have effective "smoking" and "non-smoking" sections. There seems to be little room for compromise since, depending on who you ask, smoking in a bar is either a dangerous nuisance or essential. The ban's supporters present it mainly as a matter of public health, while its detractors see it as a violation of personal freedoms.

Earlier this week, Penn Forum held a smoking ban discussion with speakers from both sides. The event took place in Huntsman Hall, so it wasn't surprising that a lot of the debate was devoted to the subject of money. Even though both California and New York City have actually reported increases in restaurant revenues after implementing similar bans, there's still worry about the possible side effects. Some feel that those statistics are distorted because they include unaffected places like Starbucks. And once again, the bars prove to be the large source of division. Either tons of small businesses will go under or everyone will remain profitable. Again, there's no in between.

After all that, I've still got some questions without answers. What about businesses that exist for the purpose of smoking? Would all of Philadelphia's cigar bars or hookah bars that serve food be shut down? I know a few people who would be a little upset.

But my biggest unanswered question comes from the side of the ban that often gets ignored: the restaurants. Why are we fixing something that's not broken? Over the years, restaurants have made serious efforts to really keep the "smoking" and "non-smoking" sections separate. Unlike at bars, restaurant patrons always get to choose where they sit.

As someone who has worked as a waitress, I can tell you that there's a huge difference between the amount of smoke found in a bar and in a restaurant's smoking section. Generally, people do not sit down for a meal and chain-smoke. Often they'll have one cigarette or not smoke at all. What's more, restaurant servers have more leeway over choosing their sections then those stuck behind a bar. I'm not a smoker, so whenever I was assigned the smoking section, there was always someone willing trade. Smokers like waiting on other smokers. There's also a rumor that they tip better.

Restaurants have been dealing with smokers and non-smokers for quite some time, and most have found ways to compromise. A city-wide ban would be anything but a compromise for those who choose to smoke and those who serve them.

Walking home one night, I asked one of my friends, a light smoker, what she likes so much about smoking. It was a matter of curiosity, really, since I've never had a cigarette. Her long list ended with how there's something really great about going somewhere, having a cup of coffee, a cigarette and a good conversation. Somehow it seems unnecessary to deprive her of that.

Amara Rockar is a sophomore political science major from St. Louis. Out of Range appears on Fridays.

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