The statewide smoking ban in Illinois has been in effect for nearly three weeks and businesses are now able to see how it has affected their customer base.

Doug Lerson, president of Joe’s Brewery, a bar in Champaign located near the University of Illinois campus, said the smoking ban has not affected his business greatly due to its proximity to the campus.

He said most of the bar’s customers do not smoke so the ban did not present many challenges when it went into effect Jan. 1.

“Some off-campus bars have been hurt, but we have not been affected,” Lerson said.

Even so, he said they have made an extra effort to accommodate those customers who are now forced outside to smoke.

For those customers who do smoke, Lerson said the bar has bought more space heaters to place in outside areas where smokers gather during cold nights.

While Joe’s Brewery has had little difficulty dealing with the smoking ban, other college student bars have had some problems with smoking inside their walls.

Alyssa Pohl, manager of the Panther Paw in Charleston, said the bar has not lost business because of the ban but some student customers have found themselves chafing under the restrictions.

Pohl said many student smokers are perturbed by the idea of going outside to smoke then waiting in line again to come back into the bar.

She said bar workers have investigated other ways to allow smokers to not have to wait in line once they go out to smoke but, so far, a viable solution has not been found.

“There will still be a line at some point no matter what we do,” Pohl said.

She said most of the solutions they have considered could not be enacted because it would increase the risk of allowing underage drinkers into the bar.

As a result of customer frustration in having to wait in line over and over again, some have taken to smoking in the bathrooms.

In order to counteract this, Pohl said more security personnel have been put in place to search bathrooms and keep customers from smoking in the building.

Even though some of her customers may not share her glee, Pohl said she is glad smoking was banned in all bars and restaurants in Illinois.

“I really enjoy this smoking ban,” she said.

However, Pohl does not like the idea of facing fines for the actions of customers who defy the ban.

For the first violation the bar management faces a $250 fine which doubles to a $500 fine for the second offense. Any subsequent offenses within the span of a year may cost the business a minimum of $2,500 in fines.

The customer caught smoking and the manager on duty would also face fines of between $100 and $250 per offense.

“I would gladly go without the fine,” Pohl said.

Anyone wishing to lodge complaints about smoking inside businesses should call the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Smoke Free Illinois complaint line at (866) 973-4646. Complaints can also be lodged online at smoke-free.illinois.gov.

Junior foreign language major Anibal Magana said the Panther Paw is much more enjoyable now that smoking has been banned within its walls.

Magana, a non-smoker, said before the smoking ban went into effect he had to worry about being burned by drunk people’s cigarettes and felt like he couldn’t get the smell out of his clothing and hair after a night at the bar.

“The place reeked and there were clouds of smoke everywhere,” he said. “I couldn’t breathe in there before.”

After visiting the bar last Saturday night, Magana said the change is definitely noticeable in that it now allows people a comfortable, non-smoking environment to just hang out and relax in.

“It’s way better now,” he said. “There’s a big difference from what it was.”

Fact Box:

Fines for violating the smoking ban Business:

-$250 for first offense

-$500 for second offense

-$2,500 for any subsequent offense within a year of the first offense

Manager/Customer:

-$100 to $250 for any offense

Jordan Crook can be reached at 581-7945 or jscrook@eiu.edu.

Senior political science major Joe McNicholas stands alone while smoking a cigariette on a chilly night outside of the Moose Lodge during Thursday bingo. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

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