Smoke-free laws and bar revenues in California--the last call.
California was the first state to implement smoke-free restaurant and bar laws, in 1995 and 1998, respectively. We analyze how these laws affected the distribution of revenues between bars and restaurants. Critics of smoke-free bar laws have often claimed that a prohibition on smoking reduces bar revenues. Similar claims are made for the effects of smoke-free restaurant laws. Such claims implicitly assume that a smoke-free law reduces expenditures by smokers by more than it increases expenditures by non-smokers. Using tax revenue data from 1990 to 2002, our analysis suggests that the actual effect is just the opposite: the 1995 smoke-free restaurant law is associated with an increase in restaurant revenues, while the 1998 smoke-free bar law is associated with an increase in bar revenues.
Cowling
David W
DW
Tobacco Control Section, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento 94234-7320, USA. dcowling@dhs.ca.gov
Bond
Philip
P
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics; D002140:California; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*