Should smoking areas in restaurants be banned?

Having a smoking area in a restaurant is kind of like having a pi**ing area in a swimming pool, don't you think? How are you going to keep the two separated? I don't think there is a way. I noticed when we were in Oklahoma that the hospital, which took up a whole city block, did not permit people to smoke ANYWHERE ON THEIR PREMISES. If you were found smoking in your car, you were escorted out of their parking lot by security personnel. I think it is a great idea.

I think they should be banned, exept for sports bar/pubs, because first the smoke always seems to filter over no matter how good the ventilation is, and it is not pleasant to eat with that smoke or even smell

I don't think that smoking areas really keep the smoke from the non smoking areas. I think it should be banned completely from the restaurants. I am a non smoker and choke from the smoke. I cannot enjoy my meal. If someone wants to smoke, that is their choice. But, it should be in the privacy of their own home and car only. It should not interfere with someone else's air quality.

Personally I think it should be up to the individual business owner. They should decide whether or not they want to have smoking or not. They know more then anyone their clientele, their workers, and what is better for them. I know here in Florida we have such a law and many businesses did not want it to go in. One of the reasons of course was loss of business but most stated their waitresses did not want it to happen. The owners stated they had no trouble getting workers for the smoking areas because the waitresses all said the smoking areas tip better. They stated even their non-smoking waitresses wanted to work the smoking areas and not the non-smoking ones for this reason. We have had many restaurants lose business because of it. Now before the ban went into effect bussiness could choose on their own to have no moking there. It was their choice and we did have a few try it. All but one closed down. They couldn't get the business. As for keeping the smoke from the non-smokers it does depend a lot on the ventilation. If the company has the right smoke eaters it's not a problem. It would also help if non-smokers didn't take smoking seating. I've known many that would sit there because they were in a hurry and took the next available table, in which ever section. They didn't want to wait for a non-smoking one. What always got me is they would do this and often times complain about the smoke. That makes sense huh?

Absolutely! In NY state they were banned several years ago, along with smoking in bars and all public places. They have even started to enforce the laws that people cannot smoke withing 500 feet of the entrance to a public building in some areas. It's funny to see a crowd of employees standing 1/2 way across a parking lot to avoid a fine for smoking near the doorway. Where are you that smoking is still allowed in restaurants? From what I remember, even when there was a designated smoking section, the whole restaurant smelled like an ashtray anyways. It's like smoking in the kitchen in your house- do you really think that the smoke stays only in that room? I'm an ex-smoker, so the smell of smoke in a confined space really irritates me.

I think that smoking areas in most pubs / restaurants are useless, because the smoke will always filter over to the general restaurant, especially in small buildings. I think that smoking areas could be viable if they are physically separated from the remainder of the restaurant, i.e. in a separate room with separate air conditioning, or outside on a patio or under a canopy.

Where we live they actually have banned smoking in restaurants and bars. I think it is great, it is good for everyone and especially the workers whom were submitted to smoke their entire shift whether they liked it or not. I hope they pass legislation like that for your area.

i think they should be banned in restaurants. Smoking should not be encouraged at all.

I live in New York and smoking is banned her altogether in public places. I will admit that I am a smoker. I have been trying to quit though it is a lot harder than I ever imaganied. Despite being a smoker though, I am extremly careful where I smoke. I refuse to smoke in our house, because I have a three year old daughter. For that reason, I don't think that I would smoke in a resturant even if I could. I feel that it is my decesion to smoke and no one else should have to suffer from that decesion.

I my town and the neighboring towns that have banned smoking in all public places, including restaurants and bars and pubs. There was a lot of debate over this but people have gotten used to it. I hated going into a restaurant and everything tasting like smoke because the room was so full of smoke. Ventilation systems are a joke, they never seemed to work well anywhere I went. I guess if you get 20 people smoking in a room there isn't much they can do.

leave it up to the resturant owner....

I know this is a very contaversial subject but I have a strong opinion on this one. Smoking should not be allowed in any public place. Now I have heard the complaint that it takes away smokers rights and blah blah blah. However, smoking in public places DOES take away my ablility to go into that public place. I have athma and allergies. Severe alleric reaction to smoke and then it gets my athma going..it is not pretty. So my rights to breath and live are taken away when someone smokes. The smoker, however can smoke in a non public place and his right to live and breath has not been ultered except by his own choice to smoke.

I am not a smoker ,i feel smoking areas should not be banned. Its good idea to provide small area for smokers atleast they will smoke in public places.