By Jordan Wannemacher
For those of you who have visited one of Savannah’s many bars or restaurants downtown this year, you have probably noticed something different: you may be able to breathe a little bit easier.
As of Jan. 1 12 p.m., smoking tobacco is now illegal in all city restaurants, bars and businesses. Not only do smokers now have to go outside to have their cigarettes, they also must remain 10 feet away from the doors of businesses. The law was passed in July of last summer as part of the “Breathe Easy Savannah” campaign. The law mimics an initiative many other major cities such as New York and Chicago have already implemented in recent years.
As with any new law coming into effect, there have been plenty of mixed reviews regarding the new law.
Mike Peden, a 31-year-old local power line electrician from Pooler, enjoys coming downtown on the weekends to enjoy a drink with some friends. As a non-smoker, he is “very happy” with the new law. He said, “I don’t smoke so I really don’t like coming home not able to breathe at the end of the night.”
Not all downtown patrons are happy with the new law, Cynthia Razook, a 38-year-old employee of Dixie Crystal from Effingham County, also enjoys coming downtown to unwind after the workweek. She said, “As a smoker, I like to have a cigarette with my drink when I’m trying to relax. It’s my stress relief. Going outside is such a pain.”
SCAD student Kelly Kling, a fourth-year fibers major from San Diego, Calif., brings up another downside to the smoking ban—“The streets seem more polluted than ever,” Kelly said, “Forcing people to go outside to smoke is only going to increase improper cigarette butt disposal, not clean up the city.”
Local Savannah lounge Pinkie Master’s is also less than thrilled with the ban. Proprietor Lorin Patton stood in front of several empty bar stools on a Saturday night, “Look at this, this is a Saturday night! The smoking ban has definitely affected my business!”
“Pinkie Master’s has been around as a local smoking lounge since 1952. People come here for that atmosphere,” Patton said, “I thought we would be exempt from the law since we’re in a residential area, but I guess not.”
The law also included private clubs in the smoking ban, so privatizing the business would not have been any help to Patton. “There’s plenty of bars in Savannah that were non-smoking if you didn’t like the smoke, then you didn’t have to come here,” Patton pointed out.
Opinions will most likely remain mixed, and no law will please everyone. As unfortunate as this law may be for some local business owners and restaurant and bar patrons, it’s not a law you’ll want to be caught breaking.
Illegal smoking in or near a business can cost the business owner a hefty $500 fine as well as an additional $100 fine to the individual.
