Smoking is no longer allowed in bars and restaurants across Vermont

Crowds clog Church Street's sidewalk, one of the busiest bar areas in Burlington, Vermont. Smoke clouds pour out of people’s mouths and then dissipate. The crowd grows louder as they light up their cigarettes. Smoke smothers the fresh air, leaving everything with a taste of nicotine. This scene is the result of the smoking ban put on restaurants and bars in Burlington and Winooski, Vermont last year.

For a year now, the Burlington City Council has been discussing concerns of smoking in public areas. The council decided in April 2004 that the ban would effect bars with cabaret liquor licenses. Private clubs have recently been effected by the ban as well. This issue has caused many problems with private club members and bar crowds having to adjust to smoking outside only.

Members of private clubs like Saint John’s and Elks believe a smoking ban is unnecessary in these places. Wes Robinson from the Elks Club said the decision was split down the middle. “Members went to all the city council meetings to try and fight against the ban, but the fight against it is over now,” Robinson said.

“Members went to all the city council meetings to try and fight against the ban, but the fight against it is over now,” Robinson said.

Private clubs have tried to change the decision of the ban by voicing their opinions to the city council. Clubs such as Saint John’s, Eagles and VFW have collected over 700 signatures from their members and people of the community petitioning the ban. Many believe it should be left up to individual clubs to determine whether or not they enforce the ban.

Saint John’s Club believes private clubs should be left to decide whether they want a ban or not, and most private clubs in Vermont agree. Saint John's Club excels at fundraising and helps the community financially. People enjoy going to the club, having drinks, and socially smoking cigarettes. Now the smokers are sent outside, and many are disappointed.

Donna Sweeny, a Saint John’s Club member and an active participant on trying to appeal the smoking ban, said “Business is effected on days when the weather is bad because people don’t want to stand outside for a cigarette. I understand the health issues, I just wish that they would have let private club members vote."

The VFW and the Eagles Club have been working with Saint John’s against the ban. The groups attended the city council meetings, but nothing came out of it. “Some of the city council members were against the ban in private clubs. There were others, however, who had their minds set. Their biggest issue was the health of the employees,” Sweeny said.

The members of the private clubs had good points of their own to fight against the council. One argument was that a young girl could leave her drink at the bar, go have a cigarette outside, and possibly have a date rape drug slipped in her drink while she was gone. Even with these valid arguments, the council made their decision: the ban was enforced not only on bars and restaurants, but on the private clubs too. “There isn’t much that we can do now. We just have to sit and wait to see if it goes to the senate now. We are in a limbo,” Sweeny explained.

“There isn’t much that we can do now. We just have to sit and wait to see if it goes to the senate now. We are in a limbo,” Sweeny explained.

Besides the private clubs that disagree with the ban, many people in Burlington see this as a negative effect on the community. The streets are constantly crowded outside of bars. The noise pollution has also increased. Cigarette butts are thrown onto sidewalks, littering the ground. But, others argue the smoking ban is a positive change in the community.

The biggest concern for restaurants was second hand smoke. Robin Luis has a five-month-old daughter and hated bringing her into restaurants because of the festering smoke . “I don’t want to put my baby in danger. I never liked bringing her out to eat because of the amount of smoke. It’s nice to know that I can now, without having to worry,” Luis said.

Zach Berman, a student at the University of Vermont, is happy with the ban too. “I hated going into a bar and walking out smelling like an ashtray. The smell stuck on my hair and clothes, and it was disgusting,” Berman explained. Nonsmokers are relieved that they no longer have to worry about these problems, and smokers will be forced to adjust and deal with the ban.

“I don’t want to put my baby in danger. I never liked bringing her out to eat because of the amount of smoke. It’s nice to know that I can now without having to worry,” Luis said.

To date, there are more than thirty states with the ban, and every state has had to adjust to the new law. Bars and restaurants will have to work at keeping their businesses successful with the ban in effect. Bars have already invested in sidewalk ashtrays in hopes that people won’t throw them on the ground. Burlington’s bars and restaurants have been doing a good job adjusting to the ban, regardless of their thoughts about it. Private club members are still unhappy with the council's decision, though, and they continue to fight it.

The question of whether private clubs will appeal the ban or not is still unanswered. Actions have been taken, and voices have been heard. As for now, the city council has made a decision, and the city of Burlington is slowly adjusting.

What do you think about the smoking ban?

Things that you should know about second hand smoke

-There are 4,000 chemicals given off from the burning end of a cigarette and exhaled smoke.

-More than 40 of these chemicals are known to cause lung cancer.

-The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that second hand smoke causes lung cancer deaths in approximately 3,000 nonsmokers.

-Children with asthma are especially at risk for second hand smoke. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that it increases the number of episodes in 200,000 to 1,000,000 children.

- 150,000 to 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections appear in infants and children under 18 months because of secondhand smoke.