Smoking Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Smoking, including details on cigarettes, cancer, lung, tar, nicotine.

Effect of smoke-free laws on bar value and profits.

Alamar B, Glantz SA

Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, Department of Medicine (Cardiology), University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143-1390, USA.

The tobacco industry has claimed that smoke-free bar laws caused bar revenues to decline by 30%. After we controlled for economic variables, we found that bars located in areas with smoke-free laws sold for prices that were comparable to prices for similar bars in areas with no smoking restrictions. Other studies have reported that sales did not decline, and we also found that neither price nor sales declined. Therefore, bar owners' concerns that smoke-free laws will reduce the value of their bars are unfounded.

Published 24 July 2007 in Am J Public Health, 97(8): 1400-2.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2006-2008 Smoking Research Today. All Rights Reserved.