美英报刊阅读教程Lesson13课文

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美英报刊阅读教程Lesson13课文

Lesson 13 Ban Sparks Smoking War

Sleepers are mad at bar patrons, and owners are mad at city

By Charisse Jones

1. NEW YORK-David Rabin doesn’t do cigarettes. In fact, he

can’t stand smoke.

2. But the co-owner of Lotus, one of the hottest night spots

in Manhattan[1], says he now spends a good part of his time

fighting a law that prohibits lighting up in bars and pushes

smokers onto the street.

3. “This is supposed to be the city that never sleeps,” says

Rabin, 42. “It’s now the city that never sleeps because smokers

are huddled beneath a four-story walk-up talking. Where else are

they going to go?”

4. New York City is still coming to terms with smoke-free

night life[2] three months after a ban took effect outlawing

smoking in nearly all work-places, including restaurants and bars.

5. Five states—New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine and

California—have passed similar smoking restrictions that include

bars and taverns. New York State’ s ban, which echoes the city’

s anti-smoking law, goes into effect July 24.

6. Just last week, Maine’s governor signed into law a ban

on smoking in taverns, pool halls, lounges and some off-track

betting[3] sites that goes into effect Jan. 1. Smoking is already

outlawed in restaurants. On May 23, Connecticut’s governor

signed a m easure that will prohibit smoking in cafes, taverns,

restaurants and public facilities by April 2004.

7. On Tuesday, Florida began a smoking ban that’s slightly

less restrictive. It bans smoking in all enclosed workplaces,

including restaurants and bars where food sales make up at least

10% of their business.

Business is off

8. New York City’s law has sparked a million “butts” jokes

in the tabloids and turned celebrities such as Britney Spears into

alleged scofflaws for illegally puffing away.[4] And it has stirred

fear and loathing among some residents and businesses that say

customers don’t want to drink and nosh where they can’ t light

up.

9. One New York City councilman recently called on the city

and state to consider amending the anti-smoking laws—a move

other city officials say is unlikely. Owners and managers of cafes

and bars from Queens[5] to Manhattan say that business is off as

much as 40% and that they have been forced to lay off employees.

Some community representatives say noise complaints have

risen since pub denizens began lighting up on the sidewalk.

10. “If what I’m hearing is correct, this is having a

devastating effect on the city’s economic recovery,[6]” says

Queens councilman Tony Avella, who says he reluctantly voted

for the ban but thinks the council should revisit the issue[7].

11. His office is receiving a dozen complaints a week about

litter, noise and occasional rights among smokers outside

neighborhood bars. “We need to find out if there’s a way to

preserve public health and allow people to drink and smoke at

the same time,” he says.

12. Those who have studied the impact of anti-smoking

measures say such laws protect the health of bartenders,

waitresses and patrons and also bring in customers who were

reluctant to socialize where smoking was allowed.[8]

13. “What the data show is that no smoke-free air acts have

ever hurt business,” says Tom Frieden, New York City’ s health

commissioner. He says four out of five New Yorkers do not smoke.

14. In a city of apartment dwellers, where people live above

restaurants and pubs, some say long-standing tensions between

businesses and residents have only risen since smokers were

forced to congregate outside.

15. “We have found that our number of complaints have

increased regarding noise on the st reet, particularly when it

conies to smokers,” says Kyle Merker, chairman of one of

Manhattan’s community boards. “Realistically, are they going

to repeal the law? No. But maybe we can refine it.”

Earlier closing time?

16. Some club owners fear that anger about the excessive

noise could make it harder for businesses to get liquor licenses,

or it may lead to forcing businesses to close at rather than

4, which Rabin fears would make New York no different than

other cities.

17. “This has brought about a civil war between night life

and residents, both of whom have a legitimate right to exist,”[9]

says Rabin, president of the New York Nightlife Association.

18. Ciaran Staunton, owner of O’Neill’s in Manhattan, says

business is off 20% as former patrons head home to Connecticut

or New Jersey, where they can still smoke in a bar.

19. I’ve met some of my patrons coming out of liquor stores

with six-packs[10] saying, “We’re going to drink where we can

smoke,” he says. “The original legislation was put in to he lp

employees, to provide them with clean air…. Well, we’ve laid off

three employees because of the smoking ban.”

20. Others note that the sour economy could be one reason

some bars and restaurants may be struggling.

21. “These ordinances don’t have any eff ect on the

hospitality business[11], and in the long term are very positive

because they expand the market,” says Stanton Glantz of the

University of California San Francisco, who has studied the

economic impact of smoking bans.

22. On the streets of the c ity, feelings about the smoking ban

are mixed, but many say there’ s no more noise than before.

And they appreciate the smoke-free air inside bars.

23. “The noise is relatively low, and I only mind it when I’

m trying to go to sleep because of work in the morning,” says

Tracy Wallach, 20, who lives next to The Coffee Shop bar and

restaurant in Union Square.

24. Even some bar managers have made their peace.[12]

25. “The first few weeks, (fewer) people came in,” says

Barry Brodsky, manager of Bar None in the East Village, “ Then

they gave in.”

From USA Today, June 3, 2003

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