The ban on smoking in Virginia bars and restaurants takes effect Dec. 1, and the results will be felt by New River Valley residents and area college students.

Gov. Tim Kaine signed the legislation for the smoking ban earlier in the year. All restaurants and bars must incorporate the ban, unless they have separate, walled-off rooms, with different ventilation systems to allow smoking. Some other exemptions to the smoking ban include:

• Any establishment that prepares or stores food for distribution to another related business (examples include: catering services and hot dogs stands)
• Any outdoor area of a restaurant, with or without a roof covering, that is not completely enclosed
• Any section of an establishment constructed in a manner that the area where smoking is permitted is structurally separated from the non-smoking areas of the establishment and separately vented to prevent the recirculation of smoke to the non-smoking area
• Any establishment located on the premises of any manufacturer of any tobacco products
• Any portion of an establishment that is used exclusively for private occasions, as long as they follow the structuring and ventilation, as mentioned above

Ken Day, general manager of BT’s Restaurant in Radford, was very vocal about his feelings on the topic of the smoking ban.

“We have been here for 26 years and in order to stay in business, we need a balanced budget, and it is not the government’s business to slide into the private sector. It is hypocritical for the government to tax tobacco in Virginia and then not allow it in the bars and restaurants,” Day said.

As for BT’s future plans to accommodate its’ patrons who smoke, nothing is set in stone. “The patio is really the only place that our customers will be able to smoke, but we could possibly turn the pool room into a smoking lounge. There are no definite plans, however,” Day said.

BT’s will be doing table talks and surveys with their customers after the smoking ban has taken effect, to judge if a smoking room would be worthwhile or not. However, one customer already believes the smoking ban will be a positive experience for all.

“It will be nice to eat dinner and have a drink without having smoke blown in your face,” said Radford resident Susan Leonard. “This ban will make Virginians more healthy in the long run.”

Sharkey’s in Radford, is in the same boat as BT’s as the smoking ban begins. Customers will have to smoke outside on the street or out on the back deck, which is relatively small.

John Peacock, a manager at Sharkey’s, stated, “I personally love the smoking ban because it provides a healthier environment for the customers, as well as the employees, who are constantly surrounded by second-hand smoke.”

Sharkey’s will still sell cigarettes because they are more of a convenience factor so that the customer does not have to leave the bar. The restaurant also has plans of putting heaters on the patio, and in the future, could do something with the upstairs of the building, but again, no definitive plans have been made.

“The sales in New York City restaurants and bars dropped substantially in the six months following their smoking ban, but then the sales soon came back up,” Peacock said. “I guess I am just worried about that period of time that our sales could drop. But, if this ban helps people quit smoking, then that is a plus.”

So what does the smoking ban mean for hookah bars or cigar bars? If either of these establishments serve or prepare food, then smoking is banned, unless they have separate ventilated rooms for the purpose of smoking.

According to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), more than 1,040 of adult deaths per year in Virginia are attributed to second-hand smoke.

With so many different exemptions and questions about every aspect of this smoking ban, it is hard to keep up with what is and is not allowed. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has created a Web site to help answer your questions, which is a part of their Breathe Easy, Virginia campaign. The VDH also has a “Quit Now Virginia” hotline, where those needing help quitting smoking can call toll-free at (800) QUIT-NOW (800.784.8669).

College Students Have Mixed Feelings on Ban

Judging how much of an effect the smoking ban will have on college students in the New River Valley will take some time to evaluate. With the ban starting on Dec. 1, students will have just returned from Thanksgiving Break with the final stretch of the semester and final exams immediately ahead.

This leaves little time for going out to the bars or taking time to eat at restaurants. After the exams are completed, winter break will immediately follow, leaving Blacksburg and Radford void of most of its college students.

The bars and restaurants in Blacksburg and Radford will have to adapt to the ban and go through changes that will be necessary.

One Radford University senior said, “I think it is a crime that I cannot go into Sharkey’s on Sunday to watch football, have a beer, and smoke a cigarette in a smoking section.”

While this statement can reflect most smokers’ opinions on the ban, those sentiments are not universal.

Katie Woods, a Radford University junior, said, “I don’t see a problem with the ban. If I didn’t smoke, I would not want to be around it every time I go out to a restaurant. I can easily go outside to smoke if I have to.”

What can be said for those students who do smoke can also be said for those who do not. Some people love the upcoming smoking ban, others hate it, and a few have no preferences.

Radford University senior Brayden Delans stated, “As a non-smoker, I love the fact that the smoking ban will be taking place. I hate being around all that cigarette smoke, even though I have friends who do smoke around me. Luckily, this will limit how much I have to be around it when we go out.”

While Radford University junior Ashley Cutts said, “I don’t smoke, but I really have no problem with those who do in a public setting. I usually sit in the non-smoking section anyways, so I don’t believe the smoking ban will directly affect me.”

Regardless of opinions, businesses are going to change, and students are going to have to get accustomed to new practices. Whether it is going outside every 15 minutes to smoke or quitting altogether, the students of Virginia Tech and Radford University will face what every other Virginia resident will.

Whether you are for or against this ban, we here at the New River Voice would like to hear what you have to say. Let us know what you think in the Comments section below.

Josh Nash is an intern for the New River Voice