Smokers across New Hampshire seem to have accepted the statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants with little complaint. When the ban went into effect on Sept. 17, business owners worried about what would happen, but most are finding that they have as many, if not more, customers now that the air is clear.

Bow and Hopkinton patrons have had mixed reactions since the smoking ban was initiated, though many feel the change is for the better.

“I like it, and I think it is one of the best things the state has done,” said Dennis Hankins, a Bradford resident taking his lunch break at Hopkinton’s Blaser’s Fireside Tavern. “I don’t like the cigarette smoke and I don’t want to have to smell it when I go out to enjoy a meal.”

Hankins, a nonsmoker, said he has not noticed any decline in business.

Nancy Blaser, owner of the restaurant, said she has actually seen a difference.

“If anything, I would say business has increased,” she said. “People have been commenting on how nice it is to come in and have no smoke clouding the area. It makes my life easier, too, because there’s a lot less cleaning to do.”

The day after the ban was put into place, Blaser revamped the restaurant slightly, cleaning every carpet in the building.

Hopkinton residents Veva and Ivan Mahoney, both smokers, have mixed feelings about the ban.

“I was somewhat disappointed with the ban. I think it’s for the better, though,” said Veva Mahoney. “We came from Essex, Conn., and they chose to ban smoking at restaurants in town. Business went down and there were two bars that had to close because of it.”

The ban, according to Ivan Mahoney, has led to some dishonest behavior by patrons.

“It makes it tough. Being in town, we can just go home if we want to smoke, but tourists can’t do that,” he said. “I have noticed some patrons who go out to smoke and then just run out on their tabs.”

The couple said they don’t spend as much time going out as they used to due to the ban.

Blaser’s Fireside Tavern has a designated area for smokers that provides a sheltered area near the building. The white tent holds four picnic tables and a heater to keep smokers warm during the winter months.

At Chen Yang Li Chinese restaurant in Bow, patrons have begun to use more of the facility now that it is smokefree.

The restaurant portion was smoke-free previously, but not the tavern.

Manager James Jiang said many people chose not to go to the downstairs tavern because of the smoke. Now that there are no smokers downstairs, there has been more business there.

“People have been automatically going outside and we haven’t had to ask them to,” said Jiang. “It has been a positive thing so far because there has been more business and people can enjoy a meal without any smoke.”

The Bow Police Department has not received any complaints regarding the smoking ban, and employees at Blaser’s Fireside Tavern and Chen Yang Li have not either.

“Occasionally, someone will light up and then just realize they shouldn’t be,” said Nancy Blaser. “But even then, they just run for the door to go outside. People have been very cooperative.”

Other towns
Bar and social club patrons agree that it should be the preference of the establishment’s owner to allow or prohibit smoking, and should not be mandated by state or local government.

“We should change the state motto (from) ‘Live free or die to ‘Totally assimilate to be Massachusetts,’” said Hugh McKissick, Candia resident and regular at Holiday’s Bar and Grill in Auburn. McKissick added that, as a smoker who enjoys a cigarette with his Captain and ginger, he has cut down on going out to bars due to the new law, saying that he has decided to vote with his wallet.

He also said tobacco is still a legal product, and the state would never turn down the tax revenue but would restrict it in legal establishments. He also has questions about who is enforcing the law.

Tom Gill of Deerfield, also at Holiday’s, hasn’t had a cigarette in 17 years, and said he thinks it’s good for bars to be smoke free, but reiterated McKissick’s point that it should be at the discretion of the proprietor. He also pointed out that the responsibility falls on the individual to either enter a smoke-filled bar or choose to go elsewhere.

McKissick said he has considered joining a social club, such as an American Legion or Elks Lodge, to have the choice to continue smoking indoors in front of his drink. That is a trend that is starting to take shape, according to John Zachodny, Commander of the Suncook American Legion Post 28 in Pembroke.

Zachodny said he has seen a slight increase in membership at Legions across the state, and new faces have appeared at Post 28 since the ban went into effect.

He added that it is in an individual’s right to smoke, and the state is getting overbearing in passing such laws.

“It’s each individual’s choice. That’s what this country was built on,” he said.

Meghann Giovanditto, a bartender at Post 28, said she hasn’t seen that trend but hears the talk about it. “Many people complain about it all the time, and they’re glad they can smoke here,” she said.

Amber Paneault of Pembroke was having a drink and a cigarette at the time of the visit, and agreed smoking rules should be up to the establishment’s owner. She added that she did not smoke in restaurants, even before that ban went into effect years ago, and thinks that is a reasonable law.

“Smoking and drinking go hand in hand,” she said. Jamie Rodriguez of Manchester, another patron, agreed. “As for restaurants, I don’t think there should be any smoking, especially if there’s kids around,” she said.

Despite the arguments against the ban, George Ryan, general manager of Holiday’s, said the smoking ban actually brought in more families, and has increased business by about 10 percent in the past month and a half.

“We had an increase in business. The smoking ban definitely helped,” he said. “It’s not a surprise to me.”

Ryan said smokers still come in for drinks or a meal after work, but now nonsmokers who shied away from the bar previously have started trickling in.

Ryan used to run a business in Massachusetts so he’s been through this once before, he said, adding that his smoking patrons would cool off about the law after more time passes.

With smokers across New Hampshire having to take it outside, many are turning to cigar shops, where they are allowed to smoke cigars inside.

Tyler Shea, owner of a cigar shop and lounge in Bedford called Blowin’ Smoke, said more people have been coming into his store to smoke. They have also been asking to bring in their own alcohol.

“It is clear there will be more of a demand for a place to drink and smoke,” he said.

Shea said there is no doubt people enjoy a cocktail with a cigar. Right now, his store does not have a license to sell alcohol but, Shea said, he is looking to acquire one soon.

“Right now we can only serve complimentary alcohol during certain events we have, but we’re definitely looking to expand with an alcohol license,” he said.

William Strouse, a senior at Saint Anselm College, said he comes to Blowin’ Smoke about two or three times a week and is not pleased with the new ban.

“From what I understood New Hampshire is live free or die, but now you don’t have a choice,” he said.

Strouse understands that people don’t want to breathe second-hand smoke but thought there were other options than banning smoking completely.

“Many places have the ability to separate a room for smoking and only people who choose to work in that room should have to,” he said.

Shea thinks he will see a bigger increase of people in his shop when the weather gets colder.

“Being forced outside in 15- degree weather is not going to happen,” he said.

Jack Byrne of Manchester, and a patron of Blowin’ Smoke, agreed with Strouse and got straight to the point when asked about the ban.

“It sucks,” he said, “Now we’re second-class citizens.” Byrne said he has been smoking cigars for about 15 years and is not happy about the ban but does understand it.

“The laws do affect a lot of people and the health issues have become a lot more prominent,” he said.

Byrne said he just “went with the flow” when it comes to the ban.

Now he and others like him will have to come to places like Blowin’ Smoke.

The New Boston Tavern had gone smoke-free earlier in February and the response, said coowner Carol Eggers, was “phenomenal.” “There’s been an increase,” said Eggers of the customer base. “Many people say, ‘We’re so happy you went nonsmoking in the restaurant. It’s nice to walk in here and smell the food cooking.’”

The Eggers opened Mad Matty’s, a sports pub that allowed smoking, in January in the building next door. But even there, said Carol Eggers, the ban has not really affected it. “People go out and have a cigarette,” she said.

“At this point, people are used to it. The government crams a rule down your throat, there’s not much you can do about it.”

Bar owners Lorraine and Steve Pascucci of the Village Trestle in Goffstown expressed similar frustration.

“It’s our business, we should be able to run it how we see fit,” said Steve Pascucci.

They said business hadn’t dropped off because they’d gained new nonsmoking customers to balance out any smoking customers they might have lost. Plus much of their afterwork crowd are regulars who live within walking distance, they said.

The only initial difficulty was keeping smokers with drinks within the outdoor patio. “We call it the play pen,” said Lorraine, and described it as a center of social activity in the bar.

“People that don’t normally talk to each other are making friends (on the patio),” she said.

The Pascuccis said the air is much cleaner now, and they plan to replace their furniture and rug and repaint the walls a lighter color now that they don’t have to worry about smoke stains. They’re also hoping to increase breakfast sales.

“I think it’s a good thing,” said customer Dave Labrie of the ban. Labrie had quit smoking just days ago and said he was glad he didn’t have to face smoke indoors.

Other customers disagreed. “It sucks,” said smoker Laurie MacKenzie. “The government is violating our rights as smokers.”

“What happened to ‘Live Free or Die’?” added Lorna Glen, also a smoker.

Enforcement has been largely self imposed, say the owners of Mad Matty’s, and the Village Trestle, though they know they’d face a fine and other penalties for not following the ban.

Private clubs, such as the Pinardville Athletic Club (PAC) and Cercle National, are some of the few remaining places for people to smoke indoors.

“We had a small number of people join. We were hoping for more,” said Dan Beaupere, vice president of Cercle National.

Member Shayne “Kizzy” Colte worries about the wrong people from the bar crowd wanting to join private clubs.

“You never see cops in here because we don’t have arguements,” he said.

The PAC had seen an increase in membership applications, said Dawn Handrahan, PAC vice president, said though it’s hard to determine if that was due to the ban or regular seasonal increases. Part-time bartender Maureen Williams said she had seen crowds increase 25 percent recently. October’s sales volume increased $1,000 compared to October last year, pointed out Junior Director Sheila Soule.

New member Darcy Dorandi, said she had joined the club because many of her neighbors were members and because of the ban, though she quit smoking seven years ago.

“If people want to have a cigarette, they should be allowed to,” said Dorandi.

Member Matt Furlong said he didn’t know about the ban when he applied six month ago and came to the PAC because his buddies went there.

Being able to smoke, he said, “definitely appeals to me, but it doesn’t define why I come here.”

– Staff writers Matt Schooley, Michelle Kim, Jenn McDowell and Chris Quartarone contributed to this story.