Those who worked to achieve ban say it's working, though 6,000 establishments are exempt -- with more on the way
Jump to full article: Allentown (PA) Morning Call, 2009-09-11
Author: Matt Assad OF THE MORNING CALL
Intro: Pennsylvania's been a ''smoke-free'' state for nearly a year.
Except for the 3,100 clubs exempt from the 2008 Clean Indoor Air Act. And the nine casinos that still cater to smokers. And the 2,700 restaurants, bars and lounges granted exemptions in the past year.
That's almost 6,000 establishments -- including 96 restaurants and lounges and more than 150 private social clubs in the Lehigh Valley -- where people can still smoke 'em if they got 'em. An additional 350 applications for exemptions are in process, and new ones are arriving each week.
So thousands of workers and nonsmoking customers continue to breathe second-hand smoke each day. Still, even the most dedicated anti-smoking advocates say the law is doing what it was intended to do -- protecting most Pennsylvanians. . . .
People on both sides still are trying to get a handle on the law's impact. It's clear some patrons have switched watering holes, based on whether they smoke or not. But it's less clear how much it has affected business, largely because of the recession.
Several things seem clear: The people who lobbied against the law still hate it, those who worked to get it passed say it is working, and exemptions are generating buzz.
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