New Fines for DC Establishments Breaking Hookah Regulations
D.C. Department of Health is introducing a strict fine on restaurants and bars that provide hookas to guests. The District allows the use of hookahs in particular venues, but restaurant smoking laws stipulate that hookah may only be provided if the majority of an establishment’s income comes from smoking, not the sale of food and […]
Seabourn Cruises Bans Smoking in Cabins
Seabourn Cruises was the last major holdout in the fight against smoking in cabins, but the cruise line recently announced a company-wide ban. Smoking is now regulated to smoking areas and some terraces. A spokesman for the company said that the policy was revised to reflect trends and to respond to feedback from patrons. One […]
Tobacco-Free by 2033 – The First Step
To achieve USA Tobacco-Free in 33 begin requesting smoke-free taxis with tobacco-free drivers; and smoke-free hotels restaurants with employees that are tobacco-free; and airlines that have tobacco-free crews; drivers, housekeepers, maintenance, servers, flight attendants and pilots all track second-hand smoke into the air that you breathe. The more people requesting the more the suppliers will […]
Cruise Passengers Back Smoking Ban
A recent poll suggests that smokers are becoming less and less popular with cruise passengers. About a quarter of patrons surveyed by Cruise Critic said that they want ships to become completely smoke-free. These results were released soon after passengers pressured American cruise lines to ban smoking on cruise balconies. Many passengers detest the smell […]
N.C. Smoking Bans Don’t Hurt Business
A statewide smoking ban was implemented four years ago in North Carolina requiring all bars and restaurants to go smoke-free. Many owners worried that the policy would drive away regular customers and hurt business. It turns out that business is steady, if not improved. Health and safety in the state have improved as well. According […]
Joe Nocera Wonders If Cigarettes Have Reached Their End of Days
In an opinion piece for the New York Times, Joe Nocera, former editor of Fortune Magazine reflects on the history of cigarette regulation in the United States. The fifty-year anniversary of the surgeon general’s announcement linking cigarette smoking to illness and death marks major changes in the way the United States regulates smoking in public. Public opinion toward smoking has […]
Study Documents Reduction in 911 Calls After Casino Anti-Smoking Law
The effects of long-term exposure to secondhand smoke have been researched extensively, but new research points to dramatically adverse effects resulting from immediate exposure as well. Casinos are some of the final establishments to remain unaffected by smoking bans. Some regulate smoking to particular parts of the casino, while others allow smoking throughout. Both systems […]
New York Chefs Say No to E-cigarettes
While electronic cigarettes have seen a tenfold rise in sales over the last year, U.K. Daily Mail reports that many owners of New York’s most exclusive restaurants are not as enthusiastic about the recent trend. Smoking in restaurants has long been banned across the United States, but e-cigarettes present a new set of issues for chefs and […]
A Guest or a Tenant…that is the question!
In the lodging area, a guest can be classified as being either a transient guest i.e., a customer who rents property for a relatively short period of time with no intent of establishing permanent residency, or a tenant who rents real property for an extended period of time with the intent of establishing permanent residency. […]
Scalded by Coffee: New Perspectives on an Infamous Lawsuit
The “McDonald’s coffee lawsuit” made national headlines in 1992 after Stella Liebeck spilled scalding coffee in her lap while removing the lid and decided to sue the corporation for damages. Years later, perspective lends new angles to this often-mocked story. Was Liebeck’s suit legitimate? And what does this still mean for restauranteurs and hospitality professionals […]