"The whole world is more health conscious," said Mr. McGovern, co-owner of Stan and Joe's Saloon on West Street. "Even when I'm doing menu planning, I'm thinking salads and fresh fish. You just can't live on the greasy ham and cheese sandwiches."
Eight months after Maryland's governor signed a statewide smoking ban into law, it's finally here. The ban takes effect Friday, spurring Annapolis businesses owners like Mr. McGovern to plan renovations, scrub down walls and slap on a fresh coat of paint.
Others are adding outdoor heaters, ashtrays and new outside decks for their nicotine-loving clientele.
Sharky's on Somerville Road is planning a new deck for smokers and Rams Head Tavern is waiting on permits for decks at its Shore House location in Stevensville and Roadhouse restaurant in Crownsville. Stan and Joe's is setting up heaters on its 25-seat patio for wintertime smokers.
Signed into law on May 17, the state's Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 prohibits anyone from smoking in indoor places such as bars and restaurants, taxis, offices and motels among other areas where people are employed. The law was designed to protect the health and environment of state residents and bar and restaurant staff.
This is the second blow in a one-two combination targeting the state's smokers. On Jan. 1, Maryland added another buck to the sales tax on cigarettes, taking the per pack cost of most brands over $5.
It follows years of attempts to ban smoking at the state level. Smoking bans already have been passed in Washington, New York City and several Maryland counties including Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's.
"We are catching up," said Del. Barbara Frush, D-Beltsville, the lead sponsor of the legislation. "Seven years ago when I started this process, we were among the first. But they've all passed us by. However, we needed the right governor and the right timing. For the last four years we've had a governor that threatened to veto it ... If I don't accomplish anything else in Annapolis, I feel that I have done something very good for the people of Maryland."
Ms. Frush said she's already received quite a positive response from workers and patrons of the establishments she's visited. They have thanked her, saying they can finally go out again, take their coat to a bar without getting it smoky and have even mentioned that their allergy problems have ceased.
But not everyone is anxiously awaiting the switch-over.
Patrons like Bobby Conner said he'd rather stay at home and puff on his Newports than smoke outside Sharky's, an Annapolis bar he frequently visits.
"Without a doubt," he said. "I will smoke on my deck and have a beer and pay 20 percent less."
Jim Sandwisch, a territory sales supervisor for beer distributor Buck Distributing Co. who was drinking a beer at Sharky's Thursday night, said he's a nonsmoker but questioned the ban and how far the government will go with its regulations. Pretty soon, policy makers could be banning cheeseburgers because they're considered unhealthy or limiting drinkers to two beers each, he said.
"Where do we stop?" he said.
Sean Lynch, a manager at Galway Bay, a Maryland Avenue bar where there is no designated area for smokers except outside the front door, said he expects this year to be especially challenging for business with the combination of the ban, the sales tax increase and the more vulnerable economy.
He also raised questions about the ban's impact on city streets, saying the number of cigarette butts outside is bound to increase along with smoker crowds outside local bars.
"We'll do what we can to keep our place tidy, but you can't blame the bar owners for this one," he said.
Alderman Sam Shropshire, D-Ward 7, who had introduced a citywide smoking ban legislation last year but held off on it because of the then-pending state ban, said he expects businesses to dispose of cigarette litter on their own. If it becomes a problem, then the issue will be reviewed, he said.
"We are looking into the state legislation and where it may be weak and lacking where the environment goes," Mr. Shropshire said. "Certainly, we'll be lending any support we can to make sure the streets and sidewalks are made clean."
Although some worried about the ban's impact on sales, businesses that have already made the conversion in other areas saw an increase in sales.
Stephen McLaughlin, restaurant manager of Sonoma's Bar and Grille in Howard County, where smoking was banned last year, said his bar knocked out a wall that separated the smoking and nonsmoking sections, put in new TVs and gave the bar a "good scrub down to remove the smoke residue."
"Overall, I think people are excited, we've had people come in here and say we wanted to give this place a try, but it was always too smoky," he said. "It's definitely increased our client base."
Advocates of the ban said it will finally level the playing field in Maryland and prevent patrons from crossing borders into other counties for a smoke. It also will give nonsmoking patrons the chance to order their cocktails or crab cakes without stepping through a smoky room, they said.
According to the county's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, only 18.3 percent of Anne Arundel adults said they were smokers last year.
"We think in the long-term that this will not be detrimental to the hospitality industry," said Bob Burdon, president and chief executive officer of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. "There will be new markets for them to reach into."
Several members of the local business community agreed with Mr. Burdon, saying they expect their sales to pick up with more health conscious customers.
"They are not fans of smoke or the smell of smoke," said Mr. McGovern of Stan and Joe's. "We have a beautiful restaurant, but you have to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant and that turns some people off. I've actually lost customers because of it."
Andrew Fox, who owns Sly Fox Pub on Church Circle with his brother Chris, said he already went "against the grain" and enforced his own ban in April to protect his staff from secondhand smoke. The bar's outside patio still is open to smokers, but he doesn't promote it as such.
"We're a small basement business so the smoke really would collect, it would cause trouble even for smokers," said Mr. Fox, who is a nonsmoker along with his brother. "I have not had one person come in and tell me they didn't like we were nonsmoking."
Tobacco retailers whose primary business comes from the sale of tobacco products and accessories are exempt from the ban. But even Francis Keller, who has worked at The Smoke Shop on Maryland Avenue for 40 years, said he doesn't know whether the ban will have a positive or negative impact on his store.
"I'm waiting," he said.
Staff Writers Shantee Woodards and Andrew Childers contributed to this story.It follows years of attempts to ban smoking at the state level. Smoking bans already have been passed in Washington, New York City and several Maryland counties including Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's.
"We are catching up," said Del. Barbara Frush, D-Beltsville, the lead sponsor of the legislation. "Seven years ago when I started this process, we were among the first. But they've all passed us by. However, we needed the right governor and the right timing. For the last four years we've had a governor that threatened to veto it ... If I don't accomplish anything else in Annapolis, I feel that I have done something very good for the people of Maryland."
Ms. Frush said she's already received quite a positive response from workers and patrons of the establishments she's visited. They have thanked her, saying they can finally go out again, take their coat to a bar without getting it smoky and have even mentioned that their allergy problems have ceased.
But not everyone is anxiously awaiting the switch-over.
Patrons like Bobby Conner said he'd rather stay at home and puff on his Newports than smoke outside Sharky's, an Annapolis bar he frequently visits.
"Without a doubt," he said. "I will smoke on my deck and have a beer and pay 20 percent less."
Jim Sandwisch, a territory sales supervisor for beer distributor Buck Distributing Co. who was drinking a beer at Sharky's Thursday night, said he's a nonsmoker but questioned the ban and how far the government will go with its regulations. Pretty soon, policy makers could be banning cheeseburgers because they're considered unhealthy or limiting drinkers to two beers each, he said.
"Where do we stop?" he said.
Sean Lynch, a manager at Galway Bay, a Maryland Avenue bar where there is no designated area for smokers except outside the front door, said he expects this year to be especially challenging for business with the combination of the ban, the sales tax increase and the more vulnerable economy.
He also raised questions about the ban's impact on city streets, saying the number of cigarette butts outside is bound to increase along with smoker crowds outside local bars.
"We'll do what we can to keep our place tidy, but you can't blame the bar owners for this one," he said.
Alderman Sam Shropshire, D-Ward 7, who had introduced a citywide smoking ban legislation last year but held off on it because of the then-pending state ban, said he expects businesses to dispose of cigarette litter on their own. If it becomes a problem, then the issue will be reviewed, he said.
"We are looking into the state legislation and where it may be weak and lacking where the environment goes," Mr. Shropshire said. "Certainly, we'll be lending any support we can to make sure the streets and sidewalks are made clean."
Although some worried about the ban's impact on sales, businesses that have already made the conversion in other areas saw an increase in sales.
Stephen McLaughlin, restaurant manager of Sonoma's Bar and Grille in Howard County, where smoking was banned last year, said his bar knocked out a wall that separated the smoking and nonsmoking sections, put in new TVs and gave the bar a "good scrub down to remove the smoke residue."
"Overall, I think people are excited, we've had people come in here and say we wanted to give this place a try, but it was always too smoky," he said. "It's definitely increased our client base."
Advocates of the ban said it will finally level the playing field in Maryland and prevent patrons from crossing borders into other counties for a smoke. It also will give nonsmoking patrons the chance to order their cocktails or crab cakes without stepping through a smoky room, they said.
According to the county's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, only 18.3 percent of Anne Arundel adults said they were smokers last year.
"We think in the long-term that this will not be detrimental to the hospitality industry," said Bob Burdon, president and chief executive officer of the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. "There will be new markets for them to reach into."
Several members of the local business community agreed with Mr. Burdon, saying they expect their sales to pick up with more health conscious customers.
"They are not fans of smoke or the smell of smoke," said Mr. McGovern of Stan and Joe's. "We have a beautiful restaurant, but you have to walk through the bar to get to the restaurant and that turns some people off. I've actually lost customers because of it."
Andrew Fox, who owns Sly Fox Pub on Church Circle with his brother Chris, said he already went "against the grain" and enforced his own ban in April to protect his staff from secondhand smoke. The bar's outside patio still is open to smokers, but he doesn't promote it as such.
"We're a small basement business so the smoke really would collect, it would cause trouble even for smokers," said Mr. Fox, who is a nonsmoker along with his brother. "I have not had one person come in and tell me they didn't like we were nonsmoking."
Tobacco retailers whose primary business comes from the sale of tobacco products and accessories are exempt from the ban. But even Francis Keller, who has worked at The Smoke Shop on Maryland Avenue for 40 years, said he doesn't know whether the ban will have a positive or negative impact on his store.
"I'm waiting," he said.
Staff Writers Shantee Woodards and Andrew Childers contributed to this story.
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Smoking Ban - 2008-02-03 09:16:11
Yes I am a smoker. I agree with personal choices. As an American I have the choice to smoke. I also have the choice to drink. However I chose not to drink. So should I start a campaign to ban drinking in all public places. Drunk driving is just as serious to my health and every one else on the road. If you non smokers want to go to bars and restaurants now please make sure you don't drink. You might be a potenial risk to my well being. If you chose to drink you will need to prove to the establishment that you have a designated driver with you. Please can we make that a law. If you drive after drinking we will fine you and the establishment that served you your alcoholic beverage in your smoke free environment to protect your health. Drunk driving is far more dangerous to everyone, then a handful of patrons sitting in a restaurant. That drunk driver will come in contact with more people then I would sitting in a corner booth in a enclosed area in the back of the Double T Diner. I feel that non-smokers have rights the same as smokers. I pay for the dirty habit I have. I pay for my health insurance. I am not asking for assistance. But I am asking let me make my own choices. If your so concerned with a life threatning cause coming from bars and restaurants, look in the mirror. Have another drink.
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Ruth E. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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Field Tested Law - 2008-02-02 12:22:00
Cutting edge metropolitan markets like LA, NY, San Fran, Miami, etc, were the first to embrace smoking bans and they continue to flourish.
I think its selfish for smokers to impose their unhealthy habits on other bar patrons, and even more selfish, members of the service industry who have to work in these environments to put food on their families tables.
Big Brother is not telling you to quit smoking, just quite smoking around people who don't want to be unhealthy.
My $.02
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Adam Ginsburg - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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Live music ban - 2008-02-02 10:45:32
All of us (including the performers) have the option of wearing ear plugs or choosing to locate ourselves some distance from the source of the sound. None of us have the option of wearing lung plugs. Also, we can live without functioning ears. We can't live without functioning lungs.
The Government frequently steps in and regulates things that desperatly need to be regulated, often after self-regulation attempts have repeatedly failed.
I toured West Street Friday evening looking for the devastation that the ban was certain to levy on the bar scene. Guess what? The bars were packed as usual.
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Gary M. - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Bad
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Governmental Nannyism - 2008-02-01 18:56:18
I agree that a hamburger isn't the same as a cigarette and I also agree that smoking is bothersome and unhealthy to most, however you cannot deny the fact that our government will and has oversteped in the name of our betterment. Seatbelts for a prime example. No one would disagree that they save lives, however my not wearing one harms no one but myself (potentially). But I'm sure some liberal will rebut that. Ban or no ban, let's get a grip on what is common sense and what our government should and should not be passing laws about.
Rest assured, this story will continue when the happy non-smokers will push for a law banning smoking on the street because they have to walk by the smokers on the way into the clean-aired restaurant. To the woman in traffic who complained to my friend about his smoking a cigar with his convertible top down...what do you think is coming out of your exhaust pipe Sweetie, perfume?! (Better pass those anti-driving laws).
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Dave Swarthough - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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then I guess... - 2008-02-01 13:28:24
the next law everyone will get excited about is the law banning live music? It is afterall difficult to have normal conversations in bars, its damaging to the eardrums thus bad for everyone's hearing, and its also disturbing to the area neighborhoods. Get out your pens, folks and write that law up, too. Oh - and how about a law saying that all grocery stores must sell only organic foods. Those chemicals & preservatives will kill us all one day. The scenarios are different, but the principle is the same, so why not? Its in our own best interest after all.
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Susie M. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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It's a great day! - 2008-02-01 10:10:23
I, along with hundreds of thousands of others, am also ecstatic to see this day come. One giant leap for mankind! One step closer to our society becoming a truly intelligent one. I'm optimistic that in my lifetime, we'll be a 100% intelligent society. Could that possibly be a bad thing? Why settle when we can strive? A few concerns regarding this joyous day; as we attempt to enjoy our expensive dining experience, we do not want to have to walk through any cigarette smoke clouds at any point in the experience and we don't want to experience any cigarette smoke odor halos follow a person past our seat. These concerns are not limited to indoor dining exclusively. If we're attempting to enjoy our dining experience outdoors, it's still 100% a restaurant (not a tennis court or a firehouse or a cornfield or anything else) and we're still dining.
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Gary Munday - Edgewater, MD - Karma: Bad
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Finally! - 2008-01-31 18:22:40
I am SOOOOOOO glad February 1 is almost here! I missed my favorite band play locally a few weeks ago because the club they were playing in was just too darn smokey that I had to leave. I do believe the non-smokers who will now go out more will more than compensate for the smokers who are now supposedly going to stay home. That's not going to last long.....they'll be back in the bars before too long, sucking on cigarettes right outside the door! I believe this law is a great protection of the rights of those who care about their health and the health of their employees.
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Tracy P. - Severna Park, MD - Karma: Bad
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Good news! - 2008-01-31 15:11:36
Hey, the government finally passed a decent law. Now if they could just pass a law to get left lane slowpokes on 50 and 97 to move over, life would be perfect.
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N. Wallace - Davidsonville, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Finally! - 2008-01-30 14:12:55
Oh, I am SOOOO looking forward to enjoying a meal out without having to AIR out my clothes after returning home. No more going off-peak hours, or waiting longer for tables farthest from the smoke cloud. In fact, I'll go out MORE often, just to do my part to make up for the smokers that will now stay home :-)
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Chris Smith - Pasadena, MD - Karma: Bad
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Exactly my point... - 2008-01-29 17:15:17
There are plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from for patrons and employees alike. The concern of the employees health should be left to the individual establishment just as providing benefits are. An individual doesn't have to work at a bar or restaurant with a smoking policy just the same as an individual doesn't have to eat or drink in one. Plus I have lived with many restaurant workers and all of them were smokers. Now I'm sure not all bar or restaurant employees smoke and I do know smoking is bad for a person's health. I just don't like the idea of the government dictating these types of regulations to privately owned businesses that are perfectly capable of making these decisions on their own. The government could have given an incentive for bars to go smoke-free by giving them a tax break for instance. There are other options that could have gotten the job done to the satisfaction of everyone involved without ever making this into an issue. But if you've ever read some state laws that have been passed in the best interest of its citizens, you would be shocked by what we could get arrested for.
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Susie M. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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Very good law - 2008-01-29 15:33:14
Provinces restaurant nationally
I am a non smoker and it does make a difference for the health of the workers at bars and restaurants. I travel to Canada quite often and they have been smoke free nationally for about 7 years in most provinces. Canada's health system is free to most and the Canadian government picks up the tab. They did see a significant reduction in respiratory illness among the bar and restaurant workers thus saving the government money on health care costs. From my travels to various places I have not seen a reduction in patronage and I believe you will see the same results in the Annapolis area. Just go downtown on Saturday night and you will still have to wait for a table.
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R. Kealey - Centreville, MD - Karma: Bad
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Personal Choice? - 2008-01-29 13:05:45
I am not a smoker. But if a smokey atmosphere in a bar bothered me that much, I would choose not to go there. This ban is forcing private businesses to follow a policy that will ultimately affect their patronage. Its not for me to tell anyone whether or not they can
smoke any more than it is for me to tell anyone they shouldn't eat fatty foods. Yes, second hand smoke is unhealthy, and yes, it affects those who don't smoke. My problem with this law is about the infringement on a person's right to make that choice. Unless the government plans on making smoking illegal, it should be left up to the individual establishments as to whether or not they followed a non-smoking policy. There could have been other ways to make this law work for everyone. And you can in fact compare this law to the government telling you what to drink - didn't prohibition teach us anything? Not smoking is a choice I have made so shouldn't that prove I can make these types of decisions on my own?
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Susie M. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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smoking in public places - 2008-01-28 15:15:23
If someone does not drink, pouring a martini down their throat would be unthinkable. Why is it okay, if someone does not smoke, to blow smoke in their face? It's all a matter of common courtesy. If you are too lazy to walk outside to smoke your cigarette then quitting would definitely give you more energy. Where have manners gone?? Smoking is not cool anymore, and even a die-hard smoker will have to admit that there is nothing good about it.
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Janet Malphrus - Mims, FL - Karma: Bad
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Best Law - 2008-01-28 13:11:20
It will be great to be able to go to the local clubs and not come out smelling like an ash tray!!!The bars and clubs in Maryland will now have less maintainence, larger crowds and better tasting food!!! If you must smoke, do so outside and don't throw your butts on the ground!!!!
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Robin S. - Churchton, MD - Karma: Neutral
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Pointless law - 2008-01-28 09:58:19
Here we go. Another pointless law that only serves to remove more freedoms we are supposedly guaranteed in this country. Being a smoker I have to say that even now we have a hard time finding a public place ware we can actually smoke. So the few places that haven?t already implemented there own ban will be forced to change and places like bars are going to get hurt no matter how you want to present it. Lets face it, many bar patrons are smokers and if they can not enjoy a smoke with there drink why would they go at all?? The answer, most wont, and the funny thing is, there really is no one out there yelling for a ban on smoking in bars except for non smokers who generally don?t go to the bars in the first place. The fact is if you don?t smoke there are already 10 times the number of places to go that don?t have smoking as there are places that do. And don?t give me the second hand smoke health risk. Every single organization that sights it as a danger uses the EPA report that said it was bad. That report was thrown out by a federal judge for being a complete falsehood but nobody seems to care. They use it as there undeniable evidence of the danger despite being completely bogus. The truth is there is so little risk from second hand smoke that they fudged all there numbers so they could still be politically correct. This ban is just another sad example of squashing our freedoms for nothing more then politics.
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K. Overman - arnold, DC - Karma: Bad
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Cheeseburger=cigarette?? - 2008-01-28 09:53:42
You cannot compare a cheeseburger or a beer to cigarette smoking. Those who are complaining about the ban of indoor smoking are questioning when will it end? Next might be banning greasy food or limiting the number of beers one can purchase? That point is completely irrevelavant. Smoking affects the peoples health around you. Second hand smoke is a very serious problem. The point of the ban is not to punish smokers...the goal is to give non-smokers the right to be cancer free. So don't worry they're not going to begin controlling what foods you consume, because your health is your personal choice. But when it comes to cigarette smoke, you need to start considering the people around you. Your smoking does not just affect you.
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M. Murray - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad
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