Keene's Smoking Ban One Year Later

By Carolyn Martin on Friday, February 21, 2003.

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The city of Keene is marking the first anniversary of its smoking ban for restaurants.
The past year hasn't been a completely smooth transition, but now restaurant owners and diners seem to have adjusted to the city law, as Carolyn Martin of the Keene Sentinel reports.

In the year since the ashtrays were taken off the counter at Lindy's diner in Keene, business has fluctuated.

On weekends business is steady.

But it's off a bit during the week.

Some long-time regulars who used to spend their mornings with cigarettes and a few cups of coffee have gone.

Denise Vashon-Smith, a waitress at Lindy's, has noticed the change.

DENISE: Weekends it doesn't matter, but during the week, we used to be packed first thing in the morning. And all these smokers are going to other restaurants outside of town because they're adamant about the law. It's a Keene thing, not a state thing. So they know they can go 10 minutes down the road and do what they want to do - smoke. 9:57

Overall, Lindy's business has been steady since the ban took effect.

Owner Arietta Ragapolus said many of the die-hard smokers who left have been replaced by new nonsmoking customers.

ARIETTA 1 We lost lot of smoking people that come here and enjoy the coffee with their cigarettes. But we gained for the other way, for the people that like to have nice clean air, and I like for me I like it very much because the place stay nice and clean and I love it.

Keene smoker Sean Johansen doesn't mind stepping outside now to take a puff.

But a year ago, he didn't like having his right to light up at the table taken away.

JOHANSEN ``Originally, yeah, I felt that way. But it's the trend. This is how it's going to be, so deal with it.''

Marlborough resident Elmer Grover has been eating at Lindy's for 35 years.

Now this nonsmoker can sit anywhere in the diner and enjoy his hamburger without a side of tobacco smoke.

GROVER ``I used to have to sit on that side over there, because that's where the nonsmokers sat. The only thing about it, the filtration system in this restaurant was good and you didn't see a lot of smoke in here. But you knew it was there. You had it blowing in your face.''

Smoker Sue Johnson, another Lindy's regular, still eats lunch at the diner, but now she leaves her cigarettes in her purse.

JOHNSON: ``It's been okay. I don't smoke all that often, so it doesn't make that much difference to me.''

Lindy's diner is one of 56 Keene restaurants now totally smoke-free.

Restaurants with cocktail lounges had the option of going tobacco-free or building a walled-off smoking section.

Just one of the bar-restaurants in Keene opted for the renovations instead of the total smoking ban.

Bars and Private clubs are exempted from the law.

Ordinance organizers said it was easier to pass a smoking ban one phase at a time, beginning with restaurants.

Kristine Dow coordinates the Cheshire County Coalition for Tobacco-Free Youth.

Her group lobbied for the nonsmoking law.

DOW ``We don't have any plans now and aren't' taking any action towards writing an extended ordinance. Although we would love to see bar owners voluntarily provide a smoke-free atmosphere for their employees and patrons.

Keene was the first New Hampshire city to pass a smoking ban in restaurants.

Similar laws are now on the books in Colebrook, Gorham and Randolf.

Arietta Ragapolus at Lindy's was adamantly opposed to the smoking ban when it first passed.

Although she's softened her stance now, she's still not happy being told how to run her business of 34 years.

ARIETTA2: ``I like the idea of no smoking, but I don't like the idea of city gov't coming into my place and telling me what to do.''

In the past year, some disgruntled Keene residents tried to revoke the new law.

They presented a petition with 1,200 signatures to the city council.

But things have been quiet for the last several months, as the organized opposition has died down.

Inside the restaurants, it seems life has adjusted to food without smoke.

The law's timing was right on target for Keene resident Jim Holmes, who quit smoking about a year ago.

HOLMES ``It's been helpful. It's nice not to sit next to somebody that's smoking.''

For NHPR News, this is Carolyn Martin in Keene.