Dykema Law

West Michigan News: Smoking Ban in Bar and Restaurants

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GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - Michigan's smoking ban went into effect at 6 a.m. Saturday, May 1. It bans lighting up in most workplaces.

Some bars and restaurants celebrated the new smoke free Michigan law with discounts. They are hoping it will actually give business a boost.

You will no longer find people smoking inside Michigan restaurants and bars.

"I think it's fantastic," says customer Paul Huizinga. "Enjoy a nice night out with some clean air."

But you can find people going outside the restaurants and bars to smoke.

"It makes me not smoke as much, instead of chain smoking,"says one smoker.  "I come outside every once in a while."

"I think in restaurants, its okay," says smoker Connie Hull. "But, in bars, come on. If you go to a bar, you know, expect smoking."

Joel Epstein helped organize "Go out. Breathe easy." on May 1 as a celebration of a smoke free Michigan.

"I'm a former smoker and I'm a heart patient. So I had to quit smoking to save my life," he says.

Fifty restaurants offered various discounts to people with "Go out. Breathe easy." t-shirts or wristbands.

Epstein says, "Many of us are concerned that we can't go to restaurants with our families and enjoy smoke free dining. We're really happy that now we don't have to worry about that."

Paul Huizinga agrees.  "We may actually head out a little more often, especially taking the kids."

Many restaurants and bars hope others agree, and that the new law will help business. J. Gardella's Assistant Manager Joshua Jones hopes the law will  bring people in who don't smoke.

"There's probably a lot more non-smokers out there than there are smokers," he says.  "So, it will actually help us out."

Jones is a smoker himself, but doesn't like to smell the smoke while he works.

"I've got three levels here so I'm running up and down the stairs. It'll just be nice not to breathe it in while I'm doing all my work and stuff," he says. 

The B.O.B. went mostly smoke free months ago, during ArtPrize, to keep smoke away from the artwork. The restaurant complex kept the policy.

"The staff has been really happy about not having to deal with the smoke and the second hand smoke," says the general manager of Dr. Grin's.  "We'd have to do extra dry cleaning even if you don't smoke because you go home, you've got that stench on you."

Michigan is the 38th state to ban smoking in public buildings. WZZM 13 talked with several people who used to live in or visited other states with smoking bans. They say it isn't an issue in those states and they don't think it will be a problem in Michigan either.