Smoke-free Wilmington?

Conventional wisdom says North Carolina will be the last refuge for smokers. No way will the state institute a ban on smoking in public places like restaurants, bars and bowling alleys. Not on Tobacco Road, the land of Winston and Salem and Duke University, named for the father of tobacco industrialist James B. Duke.

But there is hope. Even puff-loving Parisians recently realized cleaner air with anti-smoking laws for public areas.

Wilmington is making inroads as well, albeit voluntarily. In the last two weeks I’ve seen at least three restaurants with signs that read “No Smoking as of Feb. 14” and “Now Non-Smoking.”

Even the venerable Jimbo’s on South College has gone the fresh air route, joining neighbor Two Guys Grille and Kure Beach’s Jack Mackeral’s.

Help me out. Anyone else out there know of restaurants and/or bars that are butt-free? Let’s get the word out.

This entry by Ranald was posted on Monday, February 25th, 2008 and is filed under Business & Technology, Issues & Opinion, News & Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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11 Responses to “Smoke-free Wilmington?”

  1. ian on February 25th, 2008 at 1:19 pm

    Mellow Mushroom is another one, R. A huge one!

    Was just in there chatting with one of the owners, Rob, who’s about to have his first baby and wants it smoke-free there as much for personal reasons as for professional.

    He also told me about a cool site he and his wife have used both as freeload*ers* and freeload*ees*: globalfreeloaders.com, “an online community bringing people together to offer free accommodation all over the world. Save money and make new friends whilst seeing the world from a local’s perspective!” (!)

  2. Grant on February 25th, 2008 at 4:53 pm

    Here in California the legislature thankfully kicked the smokers out of the bars, restaurants & other public places over 15 years ago. Sadly, in comparison, many of you in NC must feel like you’re living in the (smoky) dark ages. Your elected, and unelected, leaders will come around some time though; businesses will realize they’ll have trouble staying open when like minded customers refuse to compete with poison air.

  3. Ian on February 27th, 2008 at 8:38 am

    Speaking of ol’ Duke, we just saw an interesting documentary last night, Bright Leaves, about tobacco growing in North Carolina, the filmmaker’s relationship to one of the tobacco barons and his wild ambivalence as as part of a long line of growers and a shorter line of doctors.

  4. Laurie on February 29th, 2008 at 8:55 am

    We recently moved to Wilmington from CA and love it here. Except for the smoking in restaurants. I’m surprised that the possibility of litigation (in some states, bartenders and wait staff have sued employers, contending that working in a smoky environment is unhealthy and willfully negligent on the part of the restaurant owner)hasn’t deterred more restaurants from allowing smoking. The idea of a non-smoking section offering relief is nuts! You still go home smelling like an ashtray…

  5. Ian on February 29th, 2008 at 10:51 am

    Hi Laurie! - We moved from California as well (San Francisco Bay Area), four years ago now.
    Love it here also.

  6. Anneliese on March 2nd, 2008 at 8:19 am

    The Sawmill Restaurant at Monkey Junction/Myrtle Grove is smoke-free. We’ve only been a couple of times…the traditional breakfast items were great. Haven’t tried the lunches. Thanks for posting about this issue. It certainly is important especially for families with children.

  7. Jessica on March 28th, 2008 at 2:24 am

    I anticipate the day when Wilmington is smoke free! If anyone has any information on what I can do to help or speed up this process, I would love to get involved! Please post any information!

  8. Ranald on March 28th, 2008 at 8:01 am

    Thanks for writing Jessica. The best way to speed up the process legally is by contacting lawmakers and making your feelings known. The other way is to not patronize businesses that allow smoking, but that’s not enough. Let them know why you won’t be using their services or buying their products.

    You might also contact the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group, which is working to ban smoking in all workplaces, including restaurants and bars — http://ncpirg.org/NC.asp?id2=30750.

    Smoke Free NC is another organization, but its website is currently being updated.

  9. Jessica on March 29th, 2008 at 1:53 pm

    Thank you so much for the information!! I just emailed my representative and send out information that all my friends do the same.

    PLEASE anyone reading this comment… visit the website above and ask your representative to help make Wilmington healthier by banning smoking in public places. Each of us, together, can make a difference!

  10. Tonto on May 12th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

    Hello Kimosabi!
    Do you want Wilmington to be truly smoke free? Or do you just get chaffed during tobacco expulsion?
    XOXO
    Love & Shotguns,
    Tonto

  11. Ranald on May 19th, 2008 at 11:01 am

    Wow, even Turkey — a country in which I endured 14-hour bus rides choked with cigarette smoke and nary a smoke-free bar or restaurant to be found — is testing the smoking ban waters. All I can say is that I lived in that beautiful country, which brims with history, culture and friendly people, 10 years too soon. If Turkey is enlightened enough to go smoke-free, why not Wilmington?

    The link that follows states that a ban in public places takes effect today, and will include cafes, restaurants and bars in July. This is no small bit of news for a country with about half the entire population counted as smokers.

    http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/turkey-smoking-nation-tries-out-ban/?ex=1211860800&en=b5ac3ebc7cdf3dcc&ei=5070&emc=eta1

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