Tobacco.org

Editorial - Local businesses may be surprised at who comes back to visit after smoking ban  

On April Fool's Day 2008, after more than half a century serving up breakfast and lunch, Whitey's Restaurant on Market Street quietly went smoke-free. "Best thing that ever happened to me," owner Whitey Prevatte says. Rather than killing business, the switch brought in more customers, including many who had quit patronizing the restaurant because of the smoke. Says the 81-years-young owner: "I wish I had done it 10 years ago."

For those who enjoy a cigarette with their coffee or after dinner, the new law will be inconvenient. It will anger some who now have to leave the building to light up. The rest of us will be thankful for the clean air we breathe.

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