Study: Smoking ban has no negative impact on restaurant revenue

Publication Date: 2013-08-09

• Author:Richard Craver
• Publication:Winston-Salem Journal

North Carolina's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars has had no negative impact on the businesses' revenue and employment, a federal study concluded.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through researchers at RTI International, has been studying nine states' smoking-ban policies, with the N.C. regulations serving as a role model. The report serves as an update on the study.

About 24,000 establishments are covered by the N.C. law, which went into effect in January 2010. Smoking is allowed in outdoor areas of bars and restaurants.

Cigar bars, country clubs and fraternal organizations are exempt.

"We found no evidence that North Carolina’s statewide law had affected restaurant or bar employment," the RTI researchers said. "This result is consistent with a study that found no impact from North Carolina’s smoke-free law on gross revenues in restaurants or bars."...