State smoking ban passes
Effects of bill
not to be seen
until July 1

By Heather Embrey
hembrey@mscd.edu

Illustration by Emily Varisco • varisco@mscd.edu

   On Monday, March 27, Governor Owens signed Colorado’s first statewide smoke-free bill into law, entering Colorado into the ranks of other smoke-free states such as Delaware, Florida, Washington, New York and Massachusetts.
   Colorado is the 13th state to enact a statewide smoke-free workplace law, and under the bill’s provisions smoking will not be allowed in bars, restaurants and most workplaces.
   There are notable exemptions that include casinos, cigar bars and the smoking lounges at DIA. Smoking will also be allowed in limousines under private hire, outdoor areas of any business, such as patios, tobacco shops and private homes.
   Colorado Sen. Dan Grossman, who sponsored the bill, felt the exemptions were necessary in order for the bill to pass.
   Local radio personality and KBPI Locker Room show host Marc Stout is indifferent about the new bill. By being a nonsmoker, he said he is happy restaurants and bars will now be smoke free. However, his girlfriend is a smoker and by hindering places for her to smoke, there may be conflict.
   By working with the Denver rock station for several years, he said he has come to find that smoking and rock `n’ roll go hand in hand.
   “ We do a lot of radio promotions in small bars like Eck’s Saloon. These people smoke, drink and listen to rock ‘n’ roll. I don’t think that they will change their way of life because of this ban, but I do know there is a connection between the two,” Stout said.
   He believes that, for his listeners, eight out of every 10 people who frequent the bars are smokers. He said he does not believe the bar industry will be affected by this bill.
   “ It’s hard to say if they will be affected. I’m sure people will still drink there even though they can’t light up right at the bar,” he said.
   The American Lung Association of Colorado, along with other individuals who have worked hard for many years to make Colorado’s workplaces smoke-free, celebrated.
   “Although deaths from tobacco are not always as obvious as those from an earthquake or a flood or a plague,” CEO of the American Lung    Association of Colorado Curt Huber said, “there can be no doubt that many lives were saved today.”
   Many Metro students said this bill will adversely affect them as they are smokers and feel their rights have been taken away.
   Smoker, and Metro Student Julie Rau said she enjoys bar-hopping on the weekends, and now feels that she is hindered to visit only the bars with patios.
   “ I like to smoke while I drink, as do my friends. When we are forced to only go to bars with patios, it makes me feel isolated,” she said.
   Metro Student Jesse Chandler has been smoking for several years. However, her argument against the bill came from another source.
   “ I smoke, but I’m glad that they put this ban into effect. My only disagreement with it is that they should have created a choice for restaurants and bars. The bill should have allowed certain restaurants and bars to choose whether or not they wanted to become smoke free,” she said. “I don’t like smelling like smoke when I get home from a night of drinking, so it is nice that they decided to make them all smoke free.”
   James Price, a server at the Old Chicago restaurant in Arvada was pleased with the bill, but at the same time worried that regulars might not frequent as often.
   “ I wait mostly in the bar, and that is where our smoking area is. When our regular customers have to sit on our patio, which is not that large, they might not come here as often,” Price said. “Those regulars are usually the biggest tippers.”
   Now that the law has passed, Colorado businesses will need to make changes before it takes effect July 1.
   Businesses will be spending more money expanding their outside smoking areas to keep existing customers, as well as attract new ones.
   Price said he is sure to see a change in the size of their patio as the official date nears.
   “ I don’t think business will suffer that much,” said Metro student Cody Broussard. “If the regulars can’t smoke in their familiar bar, it’s not like they can just walk down the street into the next bar. They will all have the same rules.”