Clearing the Air: Why Smoking Bans Are Bad for Business

Wednesday, January 04 2012

By Audrey Silk
Founder, Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment (C.L.A.S.H.) | Huffington Post

With a number of states seeming to heed the childhood cautionary words of their mothers, "If all your friends jumped off a bridge would you jump too?" they've so far resisted enacting smoking bans.

So it wasn't surprising to hear the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announce last month that it would be undertaking a study on the economic effects of smoking bans on bar and restaurants -- a partial concern that keeps some from taking this leap. It's being funded with a "partnership grant" from the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

This announcement was made by its director, Dr. Thomas Frieden, who is better known for his time as NYC's health commissioner. By the time he left to take the job at the CDC his reputation for his personal mission against smoking was cemented in stone.

Ms. Silk's commentary continues at huffingtonpost.com...