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Top News: End of the Stay: Okay, it has finally happened. New York City has been living smoke free for almost a whole month. Well, kind of anyway. After Bloomberg's anti-smoking ban took effect March 30, 2003, most bars and restaurants have asked their smoking patronage to kindly step outside. Click here for full story...Winter has been harsh on New Yorkers this year and on March 30, 2003, for New Yorkers who smoke, it will become even harsher. That's when it smoking in bars or restaurants will be completely outlawed. This issue is large and complex and has developed some controversy along the way. We are Diana Nikkah and Joseph Van Harken, two students at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and to help understand this issue, on February 5 we attended a public debate hosted by Justice Talking in association with National Public Radio at Baruch College. The two sides were presented by Joseph Cherner, president of SmokeFree Educational Services, Inc. and founder of BREATHE, Bar and Restaurant Employees Advocating Together for a Healthy Environment, and by Jacob Sullum, senior editor at Reason, a libertarian magazine and a syndicated columnist. Here, many topics were discussed but the arguments distilled to two basic points:
During the question and answer portion of the debate, one vocal bar owner, Harold Kramer who owns the Raven Café located at the corner of 12th and Avenue A, expressed concern regarding possible loss of business as a result of the ban. He noted his affiliation with a group called E.X.H.A.L.E. Following up with Mr. Kramer, we learned that the group was fictitious, but that there are a group of proprietors who are organizing to fight the ban. Site mission: Because Kramer is an active voice opposing the ban and because his bar exemplifies the characteristics of a typical New York neighborhood bar, we have decided to profile it over the next two months in three stages: March 1-29, or the Waiting to Exhale period, March 30-April 1 or The Day the Music Died, and finally April 2- 30 or the 28 Days of Rehab. Below you will find background information on both sides, pro and anti smoking ban, and a link to the section that will profile the bar. The profile section will include the three stages told in text, photos and video and a message board for you to post your own thoughts. Thank you, I hope you enjoy our reporting and if you have any questions, please email us directly. |
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