How has the smoking ban panned out in your area?

4_the_pocket · Post by **4_the_pocket** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:26 pm

I know its been covered, but its been about a year now. Curious as to how it is out and about in your area.

It doesnt seem State College has been affected negatively. I play one smoking and one non-smoking place every week. I cant really tell a difference other than my clothes stink worse after playing the club where smoking is still allowed.

I have heard from a lot of non-smokers they enjoy going out much better and go out more frequently since the ban.

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 3:32 pm

I definitely noticed an immediate effect on crowd attendance when the smoking ban started, and some non-smoking rooms were definitely more difficult to pack in my experience. However, with other confounds at play, particuarly the economy and .08 BAC, it's rather difficult to attribute causality to crowd attendance in either direction soley due to the smoking ban.

However, crowd trends aside, as a non-smoker, I do prefer walking out of a gig without smelling like an ashtray. I know Tara, who jumps in the shower immediately after getting back from a gig, really enjoys the non-smoking rooms.

I do hate the fact that it's harder to get a read on how large of a crowd is really present, since, at any given time, a certain amount of them are usually out in the parking lot having a smoke.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 4:09 pm

bassist_25 wrote: However, crowd trends aside, as a non-smoker, I do prefer walking out of a gig without smelling like an ashtray.

Si.

songsmith · Post by **songsmith** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:59 pm

This thread made me realize how rarely I play in a bar anymore.
I can add that West Virginia is going through the public debate we had a year ago, and the arguments once again fall directly across the smoker/nonsmoker line. Seems like it's just human nature.--->JMS

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:04 pm

We've noticed it. But, we wouldn't notice it if all bars were equal. But since there are a few they can go to to smoke, they come to our place early then leave around midnight when the air becomes colder. But we are about to fix that

We will be opening the Train Station back up. Its a downstairs bar with an entrance in the back. Its nice. Small. But not too small. We won't be able to have bands...but we can still do acoustics there. This smoking ban has affected you the bands more. We will probably only have 2-3 band nights in 2010. Its just not worth it to us if the customers won't stay in the non-smoking environment.