Denver residents and workers agree…

…public and work places, including restaurants and bars, should be free from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

In a recent survey1 57% said that smoking should not be allowed in restaurants, while 79.3% said that smoking should not be allowed in indoor work areas.

What's more, arguments that Denver restaurants and bars would lose money by going smoke-free are unfounded. Among Denver's restaurants and bars that have voluntarily gone smoke-free, the vast majority says their business is either improved or has not been affected by the decision. And ccording to a recent survey2, Denver bar owners may actually boost business by creating smoke-free policies. The survey revealed that:

more than 76% of regular bar patrons in Denver would visit bars as frequently or more frequently if the establishments were smoke-free;

50% of regular bar patrons who would visit bars more frequently if smoking was prohibited would increase their visits by three or more times per month;

almost half of these bar patrons would increase their visits by five or more times per month;

63% of regular bar patrons reported being concerned about the effects of secondhand smoke on their health.

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1Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Sept. 2001.
2Aspen Media and Market Research for Denver Public Health, Jan. 2002.