We Condemn the Politically Correct Attack on New York Citys Nightlife, Including The Anti-Smoking Law

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    New York City and New York State Governments
  • Sponsored By:
  • More Info at:
Are you the Author?

We oppose the citywide and statewide anti-smoking laws that were recently put into law prohibiting smoking in all bars, all clubs, and all lounges, and even pool halls and bowling alleys in both New York City and New York State. We who have signed the petition (both smokers and non-smokers) condemn this blatant violation of civil rights and blatant pandering to political correctness that has corrupted both California and Massachusetts.

Banning smoking makes no sense when the city has its share of tens of thousands of drug addicts that need treatment; the city is still recovering from a recession that threw 210,000 people out of work after 9-11, and the threat of further terrorist attacks has not fully gone away. All these factors hurt the citys inhabitants much more extensively than second-hand smoke. Smoking is already prohibited in office buildings, public buildings, most indoor theaters, and public transportation lines, and these can stay. But to take the ban to restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges, bowling alleys, and pool halls (even those with adequate ventilation and fire safety standards) just because some weaklings complained about smoky rooms, is completely absurd and unjustified.

We also oppose this prohibition, because it could also encourage the city and state governments, and the politically correct forces backing the current law, to impose other laws against its famous nightlife, requiring strict noise ordinances that are impossible for any establishment to adapt to, limiting capacity at most establishments, effectively strangling them of revenue, and even a shutdown law that could require virtually all establishments to close as early as 1 AM. That means all concerts, musicals, and even restaurants could be forced to shut down right at 1 AM, even earlier. Even the Giuliani Administration crackdown on nightlife began only after people began overdosing on Ecstasy and other drugs, and club owners did nothing to stop it.

Such restrictive laws could constrict New Yorks famous nightlife and turn it into another clone of both Boston and Los Angeles, where virtually all establishments must close after 2 AM, sometimes 1 AM, there is virtually nothing, not even restaurants, to go to at those times, and where all retail places (except 7-Elevens) must shut down after 10 PM . This has the effect of stifling the city economy by limiting the number of night jobs available and driving away customers, restricting the creation of more vital jobs in a time when NY is still recovering from 9-11, is suffering a cruel budget deficit, and overburdening our police officers and firemen and health officials who are on high alert for more terrorist attacks and the possibility of a rise in crime.

New York is not Albany, its not Boston, and its not Los Angeles. It should be none of these three. Thus we call upon the New York City and New York State Governments to re-examine these absurd laws, rescind them as soon as possible, go back to the original restrictions (which work very well), and help keep it from becoming another 9-to-5 Boston clone.

Note: The person who created this petition is a non-smoker.

254 Signatures

  • Petition Author
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Non-smoker
    • Comments
    • I will also add that these health Nazis need to be stoppped before they start advocating forcing people to sleep right at 11 PM just because of sleep disorders. Take a look at Boston and Los Angeles. Boston is plain and boring as hell, day and night, and Los Angeles is just a smog-gang-Hollywood-crack infested hellhole. Is that what New York wants?
  • michael kormusis
  • Michael Pettit
    • Comments
    • %#@&*%
  • David Chin
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
    • Comments
    • Have a "Smoking License" instead - Freedom of Choice
  • Barry Shapiro
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
  • Christy Thompson
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Non-smoker
  • Di Yeo
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Social smoker
  • Marisa Domizio
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
  • Penny Koutras
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • light social smoker
    • Comments
    • the thought of having to stand at a doorway with my drink hand inside the venue and my cigarette hand outside the venue in winter in nyc is not amusing.
  • Amanda Dixon
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
  • Jennifer Loeber
  • Joi Brozek
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Non smoker
  • Heather Haebe
    • Comments
    • The Economist is reporting a 20% drop in business since the ban took effect. I would venture to say that's a conservative estimate.
  • Diane
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non-smoker
    • Comments
    • I enjoy the smell of a good cigarette, I will no longer travel to NY, This is a total encroachment on a persons rights, if YOU DONT LIKE SMOKE, you dont go to the restaurant or bar, dont ban the peoples right to smoke in an establishment. I have friends that smoke and it is MY CHOICE whether to be around them or not.... Not the governments job to regulate my decision !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
  • L. Dixon
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Just Quit!
    • Comments
    • But, I would like to believe I still live in a free country. It should be the choice of an establishement to allow or restrict smoking.The current weakening of EPA standards does far more harm to everyone, including infants who rarely visit bars, than 2nd hand smoke. How ridiculous and hypocritical! What's next prohibition?
  • Bette Kaufman
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • Bar owner...this law would kill my business
  • Tracey Dennigan
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
  • phyllis eakin
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • thankyou for this chance to make my voice heard
  • Danica
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
    • Comments
    • What a bunch of bull. Whether i am a smoker or non smoker, this law is a joke. I am not a resident of NY, but of PA, and this state is a joke too. I am waiting for it to happen here too.
  • mark howard
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non smoker
    • Comments
    • have the big co clean up the air in new york that would work better
  • amanda henry
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • nonsmoker
    • Comments
    • free country?
  • john bailey
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
  • Joseph Michael Phares
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non-smoker
  • Jesse Redshaw
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
    • Comments
    • Don't Tread On Me Bloomberg
  • John M Ledee Jr
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Non-Smoker
  • Nico
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
  • Paula
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Non-Smoker
  • Arsenio Carrasquillo
  • Trinette Koonce
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
  • Andrea B.
  • Kathy Giganti
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • does it matter
    • Comments
    • This has got to stop, my health is my concern only, Take these laws and your urine testing all the other bull. Goverment has no right to tell me what to do with my body. This is going to start the next biggest bias hate crimes trend. Stay out of my bedroom, stop taking my Liberties away
  • Erik Ducharme
    • Comments
    • Not much longer, with all this banning, before the U.S. is left with nothing but a commie regime
  • Krzysztof Leszczynski
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non
  • Dominic Arnone
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
    • Comments
    • I want to quit, I don't agree with legislating my habits
  • Lisa Lave
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non
    • Comments
    • let these smokers smoke inside, so when i walk outside to get fresh air, the air is actually fresh and not smoke ridden.
  • Emily Garner, REGISTERED VOTER
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker, New Yorker, and a nightlife regular
    • Comments
    • I will NOT be patronizing any NYC bars now, and after the state ban, I will be going 5 minutes away to smoke in bars in NJ or in PA
  • Mike Fletcher
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • Keep America Free
  • Eleanor Long
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • This is a violation of my rights
  • Elaine Maggiore
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker occassionally
  • Kathryn L
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non-smoker
    • Comments
    • Stop limiting what we, Americans, are free to do....THIS IS THE USA!!!
  • dennis sacco
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • yes
    • Comments
    • BAN ALCOHOL IN RESTAURANTS WERE WE CAN'T SMOKE AND WALLA !!!!!!!!
  • Dawn Wagenknecht
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • right's believer
    • Comments
    • No one group should be able to vote way the right's of anyone other group, especially in the right's to run your business the way you wish!
  • kevin conlin
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • i cancelled ny ranger tickets and will not be going to ny please let me know where the petion to impeach bloomberg is i wil gladly get 15,000 signitures on it
  • James Cammilleri Jr.
    • Comments
    • This law is complete discrimination of the Smokers Rights! How many more laws will they pass to keep taking away our freedom?
  • peter daniel
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • non smoker
    • Comments
    • I'm living in london and this is just affirming to us how stupidly nanny like and baby sat american society can allow themselves to be.
  • Jennifer M Sabatino
  • Deborah Arsenault
    • Comments
    • I agree with a quote seen in a NYC paper, "poverty kills more people than second hand smoke" You are going to hurt many more by this law than you are going to "save." I believe current areas/workplaces where smoking is banned is adequate. To ban smoking in restaurants/bars will put the final nail in the coffins of many businesses struggling to stay afloat in NYS's current economic situation.
  • Regina Miller
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • smoker
    • Comments
    • I think that business owner's should be able to choose what their establishment does.I also think that it is every person's right whether or not they want to smoke or breathe in second-hand smoke. If someone is a non smoker, then go to a non smoking restaurant. What happened to FREEDOM???????
  • Jennifer Doane
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
  • Kimberly Emerson
    • Smoker or Non-Smoker?
    • Smoker
    • Comments
    • В