Video:  Fewer places to light up in Hoover

By Linda White
Reporter
Published: January 2, 2009

There are some exceptions to the rule, but for the most part… starting today, smokers can’t light up at Hoover restaurants, bars and pubs.

Baumhower’s Wings and Sports Grille is one of those places - customers won’t be able to light up.  A mostly sports restaurant, the owner has decided to just go smoke-free.  The manager said there are no worries about losing business.

General Manager Tom Wells said, “We have a lot of specials going on during the, the recessions times trying to get people in and the last few days since it’s taken effect, no one’s really complained about it.“

But restaurants can serve smokers if they have separate enclosed areas with proper ventilation.  Bars and pubs with a certain percentage of sales from alcohol have the option to allow smoking.  But in both cases employees have to be legal adults.

They started putting up signs, a couple of weeks ago about the smoking ban here at the wings sports grille, but smokers still have the option of coming to this outdoor patio to smoke.

Over at the Fish Market - they’ve been smoke free since remodeling a few years ago.

Fish Market Manager, Robin Dracos said, “We really have not had any issues, and I think overall it’s been a better dining experience for people.“

Customers fall on both sides of the aisle on this issue.

Non-Smoker Rosalind Donaldson said, “It’s not appetizing going into a restaurant where there’s smoke and even less appetizing when people are smoking as they eat.“

Non-Smoker Wesley Phillips said, “I think the legislator or in this governing body has no business telling business owners, whether or not they can have people smoking in their restaurants.  I think that should be left up to the business owner themselves.“

As more customers and governments see second hand smoke as a major health issue - more smoking bans are likely to be the norm.

There are other restaurant and bar owners who chose not to talk to us on camera, telling me off camera they don’t like the idea but they’ll have to follow the law.

Several local cities, including Birmingham, Bessemer and Homewood, have already passed the same type of smoking bans.