Smoking and Strip Clubs...
shadowcat
Atlanta suburb
In Georgia smoking is prohibited in most public establishments. If a place derives more income from alcohol than food, it is permitted. In my city only 4 out of 50+ restaurants qualify. I don't know of any strip clubs in the state that have banned it.
In South Carolina (tobacco country)a similar law was enacted recently. How it affects strip clubs is in review. If they enforce the ban to strip clubs, my favorite club intends to continue allowing smoking and pay the monthly fine. Smaller clubs won't be able to afford this and will suffer.
In Ohio, per TUSCL_Brother, The clubs have gone to outside smoking areas. Who wants to go outside with temps below freezing?
The FED's recently increased the sin tax on cigarettes by 62 cents a pack (alcohol also increased). That means another $6.20 per carton but I have found that prices have actually increased by $8-10 per carton. The manufactures and retailers have also raised their prices and are blaming it all on the new FED tax. BS. By price comparison at several places, I have found Pall Mall is now the cheapest. Even below generics.
What is the greater health risk smoking or obesity?
Light em up! While you can!
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So, I take them out with me to places like strip clubs. When Houston made it impossible to smoke within strip clubs, I essentially lost half the reason that I'd go to Treasures or Centerfolds. They'd better darn well have some smoking women who will smoke my pipe, because I can't smoke there any more. If not, I leave.
I have to hand it to St. James club (Houston). I was visiting my friend there last night. A dancer came onstage and the smoke pumps went into overdrive. For thirty seconds, you couldn't see anything. Thirty seconds later the air was crystal clear. Smoking is allowed in the club, but you don't go home with a stench, unless the stripper you're with smokes.
SC patrons should accept the fact that smoking will take place in clubs and let it be.
As far as a SC, the only problem I have with smoking is a dancer that does smoke and gets right in my face. I can handle that and do not need the government to "help" me!
Hopefully the people will rebel before things are allowed to get that extreme.
Hence the few reviews i leave when i do get out of town
Do cigarettes have an expiration date? I would buy as many as possible before more tax hikes. I own stock in Altria Group (because I used to smoke myself), and it is doing better than my other stocks in this recession
Sort of like, "We'll just ban cigarette advertising from magazine.", and from there it has progressed. They are already dictating what can be done in clubs, and even hold clubs responsible for the actions of customers (IE: getting drunk and driving).
There are some states, NOW, that have started to take notice of the 10th amendment. Amendment X states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Sort of limits most anything the federal government can do. It is so simple, yet the lemmings of the this country follow blindly!
I don't smoke. I understand that it's highly addictive and it takes enormous willpower and discipline to stop.
I do enjoy clubs that do not allow smoking; my favorite club does and I most always reek when I leave, particularly if I've made a night-time visit.
I too fear more and more government intrusion into our lives. However, in this case I think it makes sense. I think the science on second-hand smoke is pretty clear. Though patrons can choose whether or not to enter the club, consider the exposure that employees get who work there day after day. Even if I choose to patronize the business as a non-smoker, my exposure is minimal compared to that of an employee.
I suppose you could make the argument that the employees have a choice as to whether to work there or not. But, if this were an industrial setting and there was a known, harmful, air contaminant present that could fairly simply be eliminated, would you think the management of the industry would be allowed to ignore it because the employees chose to work there?
The problem could likely be addressed with once-through air handling systems or filters for recirculated air (maybe St. James in Houston has such a system?), but I suspect there would be a significant capital and/or ongoing costs associated with it.
Note that I'm not boycotting my favorite club because of this. ;)
So then in your opinions, who and where decides what can be controlled by the federal government? You might get into an "argument of the beard"!
As for how it works out for strip clubs, at least here in the Midwest, the thing I can't stand is at most of the ones I go to, you have them all smoking at the front door, so you got to walk through a bunch of them to get in. The one club at least has a private place in the back for dancers to smoke. I think there is also one bad side effect of all the smoking they do, which is when you want a lapdance from a certain dancer, she's outside and you have to wait, or else get one from someone else.
That said, I'm with those who don't like the government banning smoking in public places. I'm all for completely rolling back the Nanny State!
You ask a really broad, open-ended question. I'll restrict my answer to the topic at hand. I think that activities engaged in by individuals or entities that clearly and negatively impact the health of others are reasonably regulated by the government.
jeffers,
I respectfully disagree with your application of the label "Nanny State" to this issue. When I talk about "Nanny State" laws and regulations, I'm thinking of things like mandatory seatbelt laws and anti recreational drug use laws that attempt to "protect us from ourselves" by outlawing behaviors that don't affect others. I think this is a case where the government is protecting the health of non smokers from the negative effects smoking by others in close proximity. Again, I think that is an appropriate role of government.
Thanks for the discussion, guys.