Consequences of Clean Indoor Air Policies on Alcohol-Serving Establishments

The negative health effects related to smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke have been well-documented. Policies focused on smoke-free indoor air are aimed at protecting smokers and nonsmokers alike and have demonstrated significant health benefits. Smoking and drinking behaviors are strongly correlated, and on-sale alcohol businesses (i.e., bars and restaurants) are locations where individuals often can partake in both of these behaviors. However, when communities enact partial or full smoking bans, these ordinances interfere with the relationship between drinking and smoking. Opponents of smoking bans worry that they may have negative consequences, such as lower revenue, for alcohol-serving businesses. No studies have shown the effect of smoke-free ordinances on the number of alcohol-serving establishments within communities with these policies. We used data from several communities in Minnesota from 2003-2007 with one of three policy conditions: full smoke-free ordinances covering both bars and restaurants, partial smoke-free ordinances that include restaurants but exempt bars, and no smoke-free ordinance covering either bars or restaurants. There appear to be mixed results when comparing the number of alcohol establishments between cities enacting a smoke-free ordinance and those that did not enact a smoke-free ordinance. Several cities with an ordinance showed a marked decrease in the number of on-sale alcohol establishments compared to cities without an ordinance, while other cities showed a slight increase in the number of alcohol-serving establishments during the time smoke-free ordinances were in place. Further research is needed to understand the full impact of smoke-free ordinances on alcohol licensing and alcohol establishments.