More people ate outside the home during the second half of the 1990s than ever before. Baseball season, in other words. Apparently Harding doesn't hang out in Carrollton. Total restaurant sales increased steadily in Wichita Falls for eight years prior to the ordinance, but the food industry's share of retail sales in that city actually dropped after the new rules went into effect. Additional confusion stems from the fact that bars and restaurants exist both as entertainment venues and workplaces.
Most offices ban smoking.
A majority of Dallas residents polled by the cancer society support no-smoking rules for the workplace. But waitstaff and bartenders encounter ETS every single workday. Maxey's office points out that many restaurants do not provide health insurance. The Austin Democrat's bill is stalled in committee. But we've already spoken about the next legislative session if it doesn't pass.