Going Smoke-free is Good for Your Health and Good for Business

In February 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a study on the economic impact of the El Paso smoke-free ordinance which covers all public places and workplaces, including bars and restaurants. The study, conducted jointly by CDC and Texas Department of Health, concluded:

"No decline in total restaurant or bar revenues occurred in El Paso, Texas, after the city's smoking ban was implemented on January 2, 2002. These findings are consistent with the results of studies in other municipalities that determined smoke-free indoor air ordinances had no effect on restaurant revenues (2,5--8). Despite claims that these laws especially might reduce alcoholic beverage revenues (2), the mixed-beverage revenue analyses indicate that sales of alcoholic beverages were not affected by the El Paso smoking ban."

The full study is available at:

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , Feb. 27, 2004, Impact of a Smoking Ban on Restaurant and Bar Revenues --- El Paso, Texas, 2002 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5307a2.htm View the entire issue in PDF format at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5307.pdf

The results of the El Paso study are in line with previous studies that found no economic impact from strong smoke-free ordinances, such as the following research regarding West Lake Hills:

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report , May 19, 1995, Assessment of the Impact of a 100% Smoke-Free Ordinance on Restaurant Sales -- West Lake Hills, Texas, 1992-1994 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00037061.htm

A series of studies published in the January 1999 issue of the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice found that sales tax data from 81 localities in six states consistently demonstrated that ordinances restricting smoking in restaurants had no effect on revenues.