New York City restaurant survey supports smoking ban

American Heart Association
Wednesday, 22 October 2003

Statement of M. Cass Wheeler, Chief Executive Officer, American Heart Association

Survey Shows New York City's Smoking Ban is Good for Business; Other Cities, States Should Follow Suit

Today, you can add more data to the mountain of evidence that clean indoor air laws are good – not just for health, but for business, too. The impartial Zagat survey of the impact of New York City's smoking ban confirms what every other credible survey has shown: Smoking bans are popular with the public and pose no economic threat to restaurants, bars or other businesses.

When New York City was debating its proposed clean indoor air law, the tobacco industry predictably argued that a smoking ban would be bad for business – the same argument that industry has made whenever a smoking ban has been considered, whether on airplanes, in restaurants, at stadiums or anywhere else. But Zagat found that not only has New York City's smoking ban not hurt restaurant business, it "has given it a major lift."

The survey of 29,361 diners, conducted from May through mid-July, found that 96 percent are eating out the same amount or more often as a result of New York City's smoke-free restaurant law. Specifically, 23 percent said they were eating out more often because of the law. Seventy-three percent said they were eating out the same. Only 4 percent said they were eating out less often. The survey also found that the number of jobs in restaurants and bars in New York City are up as are hotel occupancy rates.

Of course, the real benefit to smoking bans is to the public's health. Environmental tobacco smoke increases the risk of coronary events by about 30 percent and results in approximately 35,000 deaths from coronary heart disease among nonsmokers every year.

Again, the economic numbers shouldn't surprise anyone – they merely confirm what other cities and states that have banned smoking in public places have learned. California, which banned smoking in restaurants and bars in 1998, also saw positive economic benefits as have other cities and states across the country. The real surprise is that more cities and states aren't doing the same. More than a quarter of the U.S. population – more than 70 million people – now live in a jurisdiction that has enacted a comprehensive smoke-free law. Political leaders in the rest of the country need to follow suit and provide this protection for their citizens. If they do, they'll not only be protecting the health of their citizens, they'll be giving their economies a boost as well.

For more information, or to contact American Heart Association, see their website at: www.americanheart.org