INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana  January 24, 2011 – A proposed statewide smoking ban in Indiana is filled with unintended consequences that will negatively impact the rights of business owners and their customers, and losses of jobs, businesses and state and local taxes, says the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.

The Indiana House committee voted to endorse HB 1018 which prohibits smoking in public places and indoor work sites excluding casinos, horse tracks and other gambling facilities and tobacco stores. The bill now goes to the full House for review before being taken up by the State Senate where previous smoking ban attempts have failed in the past.

“We certainly appreciate the fact that the bill exempts our members’ cigar stores, but, in all fairness, it would still take away the rights of Indiana citizens and business owners. In addition, it will result in lost business, lost jobs and lost tax revenues across the state.  Is this the time to be passing unnecessary legislation that hurts our economy?” asked Chris McCalla, legislative director of the IPCPR.

McCalla noted that the current exemptions were included because a nonpartisan fiscal impact statement estimated the ban would cut state gambling tax revenues by up to $200 million annually.

“And that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said McCalla. “Even the Federal Reserve Bank has officially noted the negative business and jobs impact that such bans have on local and statewide economies.”

McCalla explained that legislated smoking bans are not only unnecessary, they attack the personal rights of smokers and non-smokers, alike.  It is the right of every business owner to declare their businesses smoke-free or not, he added.

 “It is not up to government to make that decision,” declared McCalla, “and customers can decide for themselves if they want to patronize a place that does or does not allow smoking on the premises.  I think people are getting fed up with government telling them what they can and cannot do,” McCalla said.

In response to Brown’s claims that smoking bans do not hurt revenue at bars and restaurants, McCalla cited the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis regarding the proven negative effects on businesses from legislated smoking bans.

“The Fed has found that, based on impartial data generated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, significant employment declines result from forced smoking bans, especially in bars and restaurants due to lost revenues,” he said.

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