Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search


Español  Other Languages


Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC twenty four seven. Saving Lives, Protecting People
 Search

		Submit


Smoking & Tobacco Use


Section Navigation
			
			CDC Home








Smokefree Policies Do Not Hurt the Hospitality Industry										Related Pages
										Smokefree Policy HomeSmokefree Policy Fact Sheets**Smokefree Policies Do Not Hurt the Hospitality Industry**
Smokefree Policies Improve Air Quality in Hospitality Settings
Smokefree Policies Improve Health
Smokefree Policies Receive Public Support
Smokefree Policies Reduce Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Smokefree Policies Reduce Smoking
Smokefree Policies Result in High Levels of Compliance
Ventilation Does Not Effectively Protect People Who Don’t Smoke from Secondhand SmokeEvidence from peer-reviewed studies examining objective measures such as taxable sales revenue and employment levels shows that smokefree policies and regulations do not have an adverse economic impact on the hospitality industry, and often have positive effect on businesses.1–19Selected StudiesColorado
A study looking at the economic impact of the 2003 Pueblo, Colorado smokefree ordinance prohibiting smoking in public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, found that—
The city of Pueblo experienced a 20.3% gain in combined bar and restaurant sales tax revenues from the pre- to post-ordinance period.
The ratio of bar openings to closings improved from 1:1 pre-period to 3.3:1 post-period.
The ratio of restaurant openings to closings remained unchanged at approximately 1.78:1 from the pre- to the post-period.7
Kentucky
An analysis of employment data from Kentucky found that—
A local smokefree law in Lexington-Fayette County was positively associated with restaurant employment and was not significantly associated with bar employment.
No relationship was observed between implementation of the law and employment in contiguous counties.
No relationship was observed between the law and business openings or closings in either alcohol-serving or nonalcohol-serving businesses.8
Massachusetts
An environmental and economic evaluation of the smokefree law in Massachusetts found that—
The statewide law improved indoor air quality in a sample of Massachusetts venues.
The statewide law had no negative impact on meals tax collection or employment in the food services, drinking places, and accommodations industries.9
Minnesota
An analysis of sales revenue and employment data in Minnesota found that—
Restaurants and bars in Minnesota communities with comprehensive or partial local smokefree laws reported slightly higher revenue than those in communities with no smoking restrictions.10
There were no significant changes in statewide bar or restaurant employment after the Minnesota 2007 comprehensive state smokefree law was implemented.11
New York
An evaluation of the impact of smokefree policies on New York City found that—
Restaurant and bar revenues in New York City increased by 8.7% from April 2003 through January 2004 after the city’s smokefree law was implemented.
Employment in the city’s restaurants and bars increased by approximately 2,800 seasonally adjusted jobs from March 2003 to December 2003.
The number of restaurants and bars in the city remained essentially unchanged between the third quarter of 2002 and the third quarter of 2003.12
An additional evaluation of the New York state tobacco control program found that the state’s smokefree law had no adverse effect on sales in full-service restaurants and bars.13
Texas
A study of hospitality venue revenues in El Paso, Texas, found that—
No declines in total restaurant, bar, or mixed-beverage revenues were observed during the first year after the city adopted a smoking ban in all workplaces and public places, including restaurants and bars.14
Washington
An analysis of statewide retail sales data from 2002 through 2007 found that—
Sales revenues for bars and taverns in Washington State were $105.5 million higher than expected in the 2 years after a comprehensive state smokefree law took effect in December 2005.15
Multistate
One of the earliest economic impact studies in the United States found that—
Local smokefree restaurant laws had no statistically significant effect on restaurant sales as a fraction of total retail sales or on the ratio between restaurant sales in 15 U.S. cities with smokefree restaurant laws and restaurant sales in 15 similar cities without such laws.16ReferencesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. CDC: Office on Smoking and Health, 2006 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Smoke-Free Policies. [PDF–1.6 MB] IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention, Tobacco Control, Vol. 13. Lyon, France: IARC; 2009 [cited 2014 Apr 8].
Hahn EJ. Smokefree Legislation: A Review of Health and Economic Outcomes.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;39(6 Suppl 1):S66–76 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
National Cancer Institute (U.S.) and World Health Organization. The Economics of Tobacco and Tobacco Control. NCI Tobacco Control Monograph Series, 2016 [accessed 2020 Aug 17].
Eriksen M, Chaloupka F. The Economic Impact of Clean Indoor Air Laws. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians 2007;57:367–78 [cited 2014 Apr 8].
Cowling DW, Bond P. Smoke-free laws and Bar Revenues in California—the Last Call. Health Economics 2005;14(12):1273–81 [cited 2014 Apr 8].
Young WF, Szychowski J, Karp S, Liu L, Diedrich RT. Economic Impacts of the Pueblo Smokefree Air Act. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;38(3):340–3 [cited 2014 Apr 8].
Pyles MK, Mullineaux DJ, Okoli CTC, Hahn EJ. Economic Effect of a Smoke-free Law in a Tobacco-Growing Community.  Tobacco Control 2007;16:66–8 [accessed 2020 Aug 17].
Alpert HR, Carpenter CM, Travers MJ, Connolly GN. Environmental and Economic Evaluation of the Massachusetts Smoke-free Workplace Law Journal of Community Health 2007;32(4):269-81 [cited 2014 Apr 8].
Collins NM, Shi Q, Forster JL, Erickson DJ, Toomey TL. Effects of Clean Indoor Air Laws on Bar and Restaurant Revenue in Minnesota Cities.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;39(6 Suppl 1):S10–S5 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Klein EG, Forster JL, Collins NM, Erickson DJ, Toomey TL. Employment Change for Bars and Restaurants Following a Statewide Clean Indoor Air Policy.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2010;39(6 Suppl 1):S16–S22 [accessed 2020 Aug 17].
New York City Department of Finance, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York City Department of Small Business Services, New York City Economic Development Corporation. The State of Smoke-Free New York City: A One-Year Review. New York: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene;2004 [accessed 2020 Aug 17].
New York State Department of Health. Second Annual Independent Evaluation of New York’s Tobacco Control Program, 2005. New York: New York State Department of Health;2005 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Impact of a Smoking Ban on Restaurant and Bar Revenues—El Paso, Texas, 2002. MMWR 2004;53(7):150–2 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Boles M, Dilley J, Maher JE, Boysun MJ, Reid T. Smoke-free Law Associated with Higher-Than-Expected Taxable Sales for Bars and Taverns in Washington State. Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice, and Policy 2010;7(4):A79. [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Dai C, Denslow D, Hyland A, Lotfinia B. The Economic Impact of Florida’s Smoke-Free Workplace Law. Gainesville, FL: Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Warrington College of Business Administration, University of Florida;2004.
Glantz SA, Smith LRA. The Effect of Ordinances Requiring Smoke-free Restaurants on Restaurant Sales. [PDF–1.18 MB] American Journal of Public Health 1994;84(7):1081–5. [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Pyles MK, Hahn EJ. Economic Effects of Ohio’s Smoke-Free Law on Kentucky and Ohio Border Counties.  Tobacco Control 2011;20:73–6. [accessed 2014 Apr 8].
Scollo M, Lal A, Hyland A, Glantz S. Review of the Quality of Studies on the Economic Effects of Smoke-free Policies on the Hospitality Industry.  ([PDF–232 KB] Tobacco Control 2003;12(1):13–20 [accessed 2014 Apr 8].Top of Page
							
					
							Last Reviewed:  November 30, 2021						Source: 	Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
					Facebook
        Twitter
        LinkedIn
        Syndicate homeHomeOffice on Smoking and Health (OSH)plus iconOSH Partners with StatesFunding Opportunity AnnouncementsInteragency Committee on Smoking and Healthplus iconMembership RosterNewsroomStay ConnectedOrganizationSmoking & Tobacco Use FeaturesQuit Smokingplus iconHow to Quitplus iconBenefits of QuittingCessation Materials for Tobacco Control Programsplus iconNational Quitline Data WarehouseBasic Informationplus iconHealth Effectsplus iconCancerHeart Disease and StrokeChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)Smoking During PregnancyEquality in Smoking & Disease: Nobody Wins!Electronic Cigarettesplus iconAbout Electronic Cigarettes (E-Cigarettes)Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young AdultsMenthol Tobacco Productsplus iconMenthol Tobacco Products are a Public Health ProblemMenthol Smoking and Related Health DisparitiesAddressing Menthol Tobacco ProductsHeated Tobacco ProductsPolicy and Legislationplus iconLegislationRegulationYouth Tobacco PreventionRelated ResourcesCommercial Tobacco and Health Equityplus iconBlack and African American Peopleplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsSecondhand SmokeQuitting TobaccoAmerican Indian and Alaska Native Peopleplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsSecondhand SmokeQuitting TobaccoAsian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Peopleplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsQuitting TobaccoHispanic and Latino Peopleplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsSecondhand SmokeQuitting TobaccoLGBTQ+ Peopleplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsQuitting TobaccoPeople Across Geographic Regionsplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsSecondhand SmokeQuitting TobaccoPeople with Behavioral Health Conditionsplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsCommercial Tobacco Product Use and Behavioral Health Conditions can Affect Each OtherQuitting TobaccoPeople with Low Socioeconomic Statusplus iconHealth BurdenUnfair and Unjust Practices and ConditionsSecondhand SmokeQuitting TobaccoSecondhand Smokeplus iconGeneral InformationTrends and DisparitiesHealth ProblemsSecondhand Smoke in the CommunitySecondhand Smoke in the HomeSmokefree PoliciesResourcesGoing Smokefree Mattersplus iconBars and RestaurantsCasinosIn Your HomeMultiunit HousingSurgeon General's Reports on Smoking and Tobacco Useplus icon2020 SGR—Smoking Cessation2016 SGR—E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young AdultsHistorical ReportsA Brief HistoryArchiveData and Statisticsplus iconFast Facts and Fact Sheetsplus icon**Smoking and Cigarettes**Diseases and DeathHealth Effects of Cigarette SmokingTobacco-Related MortalityCigarette Smoking in the U.S.Adult DataCessationCost and ExpendituresEconomics**Smokeless Tobacco**Health EffectsProducts and MarketingSmokeless Tobacco Product Use in the United States**Other Tobacco Products**CigarsHookahsBidis and KreteksLow Yield Cigarettes**Secondhand Smoke****Youth Tobacco Use**Youth DataSmoking in the MoviesTrends in Tobacco Use Among Youth**Tobacco Industry**Tobacco Brand PreferencesIndustry MarketingSurveysplus iconNational Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS)Alaska Native Adult Tobacco Survey Guidance ManualAmerican Indian Adult Tobacco SurveyScientific Evidence BriefsSTATE SystemMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWR)Vital SignsPatient Careplus iconPatient Care Settings and Smoking Cessationplus iconCardiovascular Care SettingsRespiratory Care SettingsCancer Care SettingsMaternal and Infant Care SettingsClinical Interventions to Treat Tobacco Use and Dependence Among AdultsClinical Cessation ToolsPatient Cessation MaterialsQuitlines and Other Cessation Support ResourcesClinical Education and TrainingE-Cigarettes and Patient CareState and Community Workplus iconTobacco Control Programsplus iconNetworking2Save: Co-op AgreementGuidelines and ResourcesProgram FundingPrograms in Actionplus iconAlabama in ActionIndiana in ActionKentucky in ActionNebraska in ActionNew York in ActionWest Virginia in ActionPromising Policies And Practices To Address Tobacco Use By Persons With Mental And Substance Use DisordersEvidence Based Guides for StatesState Fact SheetsTobacco Ingredient and Nicotine Reportingplus iconDescription of the LawsReporting InstructionsFederal Register NoticesLegal RequirementsFrequently Asked QuestionsKey TermsRecommended FormatsTobacco Counter-Marketing CampaignGlobal Tobacco Controlplus iconAbout GTSSThe GATS AtlasMultimedia & Toolsplus iconMedia Campaign Resource Center (MCRC)InfographicsShareable MediaPublication Catalog


About CDC
					Contact Us
					800-232-4636
 Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Pinterest Snapchat
 CONTACT CDC
				Contact Us
							Call 800-232-4636
							Email Us
			ABOUT CDC
				About CDC
							Jobs
							Funding
			POLICIES
				Accessibility
							External Links
							Privacy
							Policies
							No Fear Act
							FOIA
							OIG
							Nondiscrimination
							Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			CONNECT WITH US
				Facebook
								Twitter
								Instagram
								LinkedIn
							Youtube
								Pinterest
								Snapchat
								Email
			LANGUAGES
				Español
							繁體中文
							Tiếng Việt
							한국어
							Tagalog
							Русский
							العربية
							Kreyòl Ayisyen
							Français
							Polski
							Português
							Italiano
							Deutsch
							日本語
							فارسی
							English


U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
			Accessibility
			External Links
			Privacy
			Policies
			No Fear Act
			FOIA
			Nondiscrimination
			OIG
			Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
			USA.gov


Exit Notification / Disclaimer Policy Close
 Links with this icon  indicate that you are leaving the CDC website. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website.
				Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website.
				You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link.
				CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. Website Disclaimers
 Cancel Continue