"This law is impacting everyone," said Danny George, owner of the Middle East Connection in Burbank. "Some
bar owners are seeing their revenues drop drastically because they are complying with the law. Others are being
fined and being assessed fees because customers have been reported to be smoking in their establishments. Still
others are laying off employees in an attempt to reestablish their businesses in order to fall under one of the law's
exemptions.

"The only thing in common is that this law is creating utter chaos for bar owners, their employees, and their
customers," continued George.

Bar owners continue to urge members of the California Legislature to repeal the smoking ban and stop the chaos.
Owners believe the last nine weeks is evidence enough of the damage to California's small businesses.
"I read the newspaper, listen to the radio and watch T.V. and all I keep reading and hearing is how bad a law the
smoking ban in bars is," said Kris Killup, owner of the Bluebird in Sacramento. "The smoking ban is not
discriminatory in its devastation; from mom and pop establishments to upscale trendy cigar bars, everyone is
feeling the full impact of this law. So why then is this law allowed to stay on the books for even one more
minute?"

Killup continued: "I think it's about time legislators examined what's happening to real people who run real bars
and actually are forced to deal with this law. We cannot continue to rely on academics' projections such as those
by Stanton Glantz which have no foundation in reality. If Glantz was doing real research, he would be visiting our
bars. We can show him what's really happening in California."

"And if every member of the Legislature took the time to find out what bar owners in their districts have to say
about the smoking ban they would quickly realize what this ban is doing to the bar and tavern business," said
Vicki Wright, owner of the Red Rooster in Oceanside.

"I realize it's hard for everyone to understand the plight of bar owners in this whole smoking ban debate;
however, if you've ever been laid off from a job or lost one of your largest accounts or had your home or business destroyed because of flooding, you can perhaps understand why this is such a serious issue to us and to our
employees," said Tim Delaney, owner of Delaney's in San Francisco.

Until the Legislature deals with this issue and provides some relief for bar owners and their patrons, bar owners
vow to keep up the fight.

"We're not about to let up," said Gordon Fischer owner of the Grand Dell Saloon in Campbell. "I, like everyone
else, have too much at stake to roll over and see the business that I built from the ground up just disappear in
front of me."

The National Smokers Alliance is working with bar owners in an effort to assist them in voicing their concerns to
the public.

Launched in 1993, the National Smokers Alliance is a coalition of adults from around the United States who are
dedicated to fighting discriminatory legislation and regulation aimed at smokers and to supporting business
owners who wish to make their own decisions about their businesses without unnecessary government
interference. The NSA has more than 3 million members nationwide, including 300,000 in California.

Bar Workers' Own Stories Trump Claim That Smoking Bans Don't Hurt

Proponents of smoking bans, led by academic Stanton Glantz of the University of California San Francisco, claim
"smoke-free ordinances do not adversely affect either restaurant or bar sales."

The real life experiences of bar owners and their employees throughout California, where smoking was banned in
bars January 1, tell a different story, one of significant economic loss:

"'It's running people out of here,' said (Terry) Schaner, a bartender for 13 years at the Antlers (in Pinole.) 'It's probably cost me about $150, $200 a week in tips,' he said -- about half of his income."
-- "Pinole tavern patrons stage 'smoke-in' outside," The Times, Feb. 2, 1998

"For small, corner bars, business has been drastically reduced because of the new law, the owners claim. ... The
bartender at Dee's Sports Tavern in Escondido shoots you a look when you mention the new law. Tips have
fallen off big time, she said, even though the bar has put in an outside patio for smokers."
-- "Smoking ban splits bars on class lines," The San Diego Union-Tribune, Feb. 2, 1998

"In the city of Davis, which in 1993 became one of the first cities in the nation to enact a ban, operators saw clear
signs of lost business. Scott Rea, general manager of the Paragon bar and restaurant, explains, 'It threw me off
about 20%, and there was some grumbling.'"
-- "Smoked Out, Will a smoke-free California hurt operators?" Restaurant Business, Feb. 1, 1998

"'I'd love to see the law repealed .... It might bring my business back,' said Craig Holman, owner of Pickwick Pub in Woodland Hills, where business reportedly has dropped about 40 percent since the ban took effect Jan. 1."
-- "Cheers Greet Smoke Ban Vote; Barkeeps Say Law Is Hurting Business," The Daily News of Los Angeles, Jan.
30, 1998

"Lawson (Claudia Lawson of Claudia's Bar and Grill in Antelope Valley) said business at her Palmdale Boulevard
bar has dropped 35 percent since the law took effect."
-- "Cheers Greet Smoke Ban Vote; Barkeeps Say Law Is Hurting Business," The Daily News of Los Angeles, Jan.
30, 1998

"According to the California Licensed Beverage Association, business has dropped as much as 85 percent at
many California bars since the prohibition took effect."
-- "Cheers Greet Smoke Ban Vote; Barkeeps Say Law Is Hurting Business," The Daily News of Los Angeles, Jan.
30, 1998

"Proprietor Dany Georges said he doesn't know how much longer he can keep doors open at his Middle East
Connection restaurant and nightclub in Burbank. Georges said receipts have dropped 50 percent at the Burbank
Boulevard night stop."
-- "Cheers Greet Smoke Ban Vote; Barkeeps Say Law Is Hurting Business," The Daily News of Los Angeles, Jan.
30, 1998

"A Riverside eatery, Art's Bar and Grill, tried to look the other way when the ban became law and didn't fume
when customers lighted up, but finally caved in and now enforces it ... It took its toll, she (manager Paula Conti
Jones) said: On Taco Tuesdays, she'd normally sell 100 of them at the bar; last week, she sold only 13."
-- "California and the West; Bars Still Exhibit Plenty of Puffing -- and
Huffing," The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 30, 1998
 
"'The law sucks!' says chain-smoking Tustin City Councilman Mike Doyle, owner of the Revere House
restaurant and bar ... He estimates the number of bar patrons to have dropped by 25 percent. He closes earlier, so
his employees have fewer hours and estimate their tips have dropped by 25 to 40 percent."
-- "Smokers Want to Extinguish New Law," The Orange County Register, Jan. 29, 1998

"Sue Cole, a bartender at Jan's Lounge in Citrus Heights, does not smoke, but she opposes the law. 'Our business is dropping, and I'm a little bit afraid I'm going to be out of a job,' she said."
-- "Bar owners get fired up over smoking ban," The Sacramento Bee,
Jan. 28, 1998

"... bar owners are reporting customer dissatisfaction and loss of business."
-- "Northern California Bar Owners Mobilize Against Smoking Ban," San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 28, 1998

"'This law makes me very nervous. Ninety percent of our customers that drink also smoke. This is more of a rights issue than a smoking issue.'" Quote from Donna McClung, co-owner of Dan's Place in Moss Beach, where
McClung estimated business is down about 30 percent.
-- "Smokers are staying away, bartenders fume," Half Moon Bay Review, Jan. 28, 1998

"Business is also down at Duarte's in Pescadero. Bartender Mary Rae Briggs reported that customers who used
to come in for a few hours now either come in and out for a quick drink, or don't come at all."
-- "Smokers are staying away, bartenders fume," Half Moon Bay Review, Jan. 28, 1998

"The old gang isn't exactly bellying up to the bar these days at the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge No. 391 on Davis Road in Stockton, said Ronald Rosselli, longtime lodge member and volunteer bartender. He shut down the bar Thursday night at 8:30 instead of the usual 10 o'clock because traffic was so slow, and he doesn't doubt the
smoking ban is the cause."
-- "Stockton bingo players flock to Galt to light up," The Sunday Record, Jan. 25, 1998

"A group of Tracy-area bar owners continues to wage a legal challenge to the smoking ban ... Jan Trinkle of
Galaxy Vending, one of the Tracy business people fighting the ban, said the no-smoking ban has cut revenue by
about 30 percent."
-- "Stockton bingo players flock to Galt to light up," The Sunday Record, Jan. 25, 1998

"A new survey shows that bars in San Diego County that have been enforcing the ban have lost about 30
percent of their business, said Stephen Zolezzi, executive vice president of the Food and Beverage Association of San Diego County."
-- "Some bars snuffing out Lotto, Smoking ban ignites protest against state," The San Diego Union-Tribune, Jan.
24, 1998

"'My business is down 70 percent.'" Quote from Jackie Jensen, owner of Antonio's Cocktail Lounge in Santa
Rosa.
-- "Bars get back at smoking ban, 40 will unplug lottery machines," The Press Democrat, Jan. 24, 1998

"'We've seen a 25 percent decrease in business.'" Quote from Wes McCoy, co-owner of The Buckhorn Tavern in
Petaluma.
-- "Bars get back at smoking ban, 40 will unplug lottery machines," The Press Democrat, Jan. 24, 1998

"Alameda County bar business has slumped 25 percent to 40 percent since the smoking ban took effect New
Year's Day, said Vern Atkinson, bar manager at Grand Lanes Bowling Center in Hayward."
-- "Barkeeps Fuming Mad," San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 23, 1998

"During the first week or so, Keenan (Jim Keenan, owner of the Nite Hawk in Sacramento) said he told customers
to go outside to smoke. As a result, some customers were drinking only one drink and then leaving. His business
dropped about 30 percent that first week."
-- "Tavern Owners Warned to Snuff Out Smoking," The Sacramento Bee, Jan. 17, 1998

"At Morton's of Chicago in Costa Mesa, receipts in the bar -- where customers were encouraged to enjoy a big
cigar after devouring a big steak -- are running 10% to 15% below last year's level."
-- "No-Smoking Law a Drag For Upscale Bars; Tobacco: Glitzy Establishments Losing Business, Particularly
Among Cigar Aficionados," The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 1998

"At the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, the resort's library, which became a smoking room after dark, is again
reserved solely for the literary minded. Before the new laws took effect, a dozen or more guests would drop by on
a given evening for cognac or scotch (about $10 a glass) and a stogie (anywhere from $10 to $30). The library
crowd has thinned considerably. Bar receipts at the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach also are lagging ...."
-- "No-Smoking Law a Drag For Upscale Bars; Tobacco: Glitzy Establishments Losing Business, particularly
Among Cigar Aficionados," The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16, 1998

"'This law, it's killing my business,' said Valenti, 71, (Tony Valenti, owner of Tony's Place in Costa Mesa) who
estimated his business has dropped 30% in the two weeks since the law took effect."
-- "Burning Mad, Owner of local watering hole says he won't stop customers from lighting up," Costa Mesa Daily
Pilot, Jan. 16, 1998

"... business has already picked up 30 percent as word has spread the Korner Pocket is exempt from the ban."
-- "2 vanish in a puff of smoke, Owner fires them to skirt new law," The Press-Enterprise, Jan. 13, 1998

"I'm a bar owner in Huntington Beach, and I'm hurting. My daily totals used to be $600. Yesterday, it was $135.
On Tuesday, it was $137. Saturday night I had $81 in receipts. I've already lost three employees." Quote from
Janelle Sims, owner of The Filling Post.
-- "Where There's Smoke, There's Ire," The Orange County Register,
Jan. 9, 1998

"I'm a bartender. I used to take home $50 a night in tips. Now I'm leaving with $18." Quote from Shelly Pettijohn in
Huntington Beach
-- "Where There's Smoke, There's Ire," The Orange County Register, Jan. 9, 1998

"'People come in and say "Hi," but they don't stay because they can't smoke,'" said Tony Gant, a bartender at
Peri's Silver Dollar in Fairfax."
-- "Smokeout choking bars, clubs, Marin taverns say business slipping," Marin Independent Journal, Jan. 5, 1998

"'Smoking and drinking go together. I don't have the receipts, but I know it's hurt business,'" Waterson (Morgan
Waterson, a bartender at the Silver Peso Bar in Larkspur) said."
-- "Smokeout choking bars, clubs, Marin taverns say business slipping," Marin Independent Journal, Jan. 5, 1998

"'I've had customers tell me that once the ban goes into effect, they will stay at home where they can still smoke,'"
said Frank Dick, a bartender at Trattoria Portabello's and member of HERE's (the San Diego Hotel Employees and
Restaurant Union) Local 30."
-- "Union Local 30 Urges Repeal of Ban on Smoking," San Diego Business Journal, Jan. 5, 1998

Bar owners and employees are not alone in feeling the economic consequences of the ban. Smoking also became
illegal in gaming establishments on Jan. 1, and the following quotes illustrate the impact the ban is having on
various organizations:

"In the month since the law took effect, bingo parlors across the region have reported profit losses as deep as
20%."
-- "State Smoking Ban May Spell Trouble," The Los Angeles Times,
Feb. 2, 1998

"The Knights of Columbus in Canoga Park has experienced a drop from 150 players to 110, and with them the
dollars used to fund scholarships, senior citizens' breakfasts and an annual youth track meet. 'We are losing at
least $480 a night,' said Tom Dwyer, bingo manager for the Knights of Columbus."
-- "State Smoking Ban May Spell Trouble," The Los Angeles Times,
Feb. 2, 1998

"Bay 101 officials announced yesterday they were laying off 75 of the club's 600 employees and shuttering the
casino's two restaurants. Since the first of the year, business at the casino has been down 10 percent, a direct
result of the new law that requires Bay 101 to ban smoking in its rooms, club officials said."
-- "No Smoking Law Blamed for Layoffs, San Jose casino sees 10% drop in business," San Francisco Chronicle,
Jan. 29, 1998

"Operators of the Florin Road Bingo parlor Monday told the Sacramento Police Athletic League that they are
withdrawing an earlier commitment to provide $36,000 because their revenue will drop if the county enforces a
statewide ban on smoking at bingo games."
-- "Smoking ban may cut aid for kids' sports, Some $50 million spent annually in county," The Sacramento Bee,
Jan. 27, 1998

"At bingo games that benefit the Los Alamitos Youth Center, revenue is down 30% this year and attendance is
half of the 200 it was before the center banned smoking, said Tom Stretz, executive director."
-- "Cigarettes Vs. Bingo -- and Bingo Loses," The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 17, 1998
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