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New rules go into effect March 1
Restaurants near compliance date for smoking law
BY JERRY SHOTTENKIRK
THE JOURNAL RECORD
OKLAHOMA CITY – Restaurant owners have had 30 months in which to make their businesses compliant with the smoking laws that will go into effect on March 1.
Smoking will be prohibited unless separately ventilated smoking areas are constructed.
"Restaurants are doing all they can to comply," said Jim Hopper, president and chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Restaurant Association. "A lot of members have chosen to go smoke-free; some have installed smoking rooms. Everyone is ready."
In late 2002 restaurant owners were given the heads-up on the law change and have had several months in which to make their decisions.
"They know they have to do it," Hopper said. "As an association, we've spent the last year putting out reminders to our members."
The Oklahoma Restaurant Association has about 1,900 members in about 4,500 locations. The association coordinated its efforts with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, Hopper said.
A switch to a nonsmoking environment is the easiest way to go, said Pari Betts, owner of The Library in the lower level of the Renaissance Building downtown.
"We've been nonsmoking during lunch for about two months," Betts said. "It would've cost us about $2,000 to $5,000 to make a smoking area. And it's more than that. You need separate bathrooms."
Although a smoker for 35 years, Betts is happy to have a smoke-free environment at her restaurant and lounge.
"At lunch it wasn't very nice, even though we had two strong air cleaners going," she said. "Some smokers were mad when they heard we were going smoke-free. But I'm glad we are nonsmoking. Some smokers just were not considerate. Some would take lunch breaks up to two hours and smoke a half a pack of cigarettes while they were there."
While some smokers have been disturbed with the change, nonsmokers have responded well.
"I see a big difference in business," Betts said. "A lot of people didn't come in here because of the smoke. I still get some smokers." The Library is open for lunch daily from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the bar area is open thereafter.
Hopper said that while some restaurant owners are going smoke-free, others have decided to build the separate rooms. Cattlemen's Steak House in Stockyards City, Buffalo Wild Wings on Northwest Expressway and Freddie's Bar-B-Q and Steak in Sapulpa are a few that are separating smoking areas, Hopper said.
Fazoli's Restaurants in Oklahoma County is one of the many chains going smoke-free. Fazoli's was recently lauded for its efforts by Central Oklahoma Turning Point.
"I understand that a smoking room is expensive to build and to maintain," said Turning Point board member Hiawatha Bouldin. "Also, it will cause some restaurant employees to continue to be exposed to concentrated secondhand smoke for long periods of time at the work site."
The Oklahoma Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Advisory Committee also has urged restaurants to ban smoking.
"Being entirely smoke-free can be good both economically and from a health standpoint," said Frosty Peak, who is on the group's advisory committee. "By going totally smoke-free, business tends to increase by bringing in new customers who avoid restaurants that allow smoking."
Jerry Shottenkirk reports on retail, health care, energy and law. You may reach him by phone at (405) 278-2838 or by e-mail at jerry.shottenkirk@journalrecord.com.
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