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The joke these days at Chuck's Bar, 600 N. Santa Fe, is that smoke isn't the only thing that's gone missing.

"Just this morning I had a patron say ... 'You have five people outside and nobody inside,' " said Teresa Fairchild, owner/manager. "But you have a smoke-free environment. That's the big joke."

When the Salina City Commission voted Jan. 26 to ban smoking in bars, it did away with smoking inside any businesses in Salina. And it prompted howls of protest from bar and tavern owners, who warned that a smoking ban could put them out of business.

The ban was enacted because of evidence that secondhand smoke is harmful. The federal government estimates that secondhand smoke kills more Americans than traffic accidents. Numerous studies have documented significant decreases in heart attacks following the adoption of smoking bans.

They also show that banning smoking in public places reduces exposure to secondhand smoke.

Had to lay off people

But has the ban, which went into effect May 1, hurt Salina's bar business?

It may be too early to tell from sales data, but many bar owners and managers are ready to declare that it has.

"The customers don't come in like they used to," said Marlene Best, bartender at Ringers Tavern, 433 S. Broadway. "It's not been good."

"I've lost a lot of business," said Barbara Walter, owner of the Koyotee Lounge, 501 N. Fifth. "I've had to lay off people."

Tax data from the state of Kansas doesn't show any clear changes. But then, numbers are available for business activity through the end of June, so only two months of the ban are covered.

The Salina Journal asked the Kansas Department of Revenue for the most recent 24 months of sales tax and liquor tax data for six counties -- Saline, Reno, Harvey, Ellis, Riley and Geary.

Down in Saline County

The state provided sales data for restaurants and bars, as well as bars alone. It also supplied excise tax data (tax on liquor sales) and enforcement tax data (tax on liquor sold by liquor stores).

The numbers show that June sales in Saline County were down across the board -- bars, restaurants and liquor stores. Bar sales fell a little faster, but so did they in Reno and Ellis counties. In Riley County, bar sales climbed slightly compared to restaurant sales, while in Harvey and Geary counties they were essentially unchanged.

In Saline and Reno counties, the ratio between restaurant and bar sales has been flat over the past 24 months, while in the other four counties bar sales relative to restaurant sales have declined.

Furthermore, during the two-year period, the relationship between these various indicators has been erratic. For example, in Saline County it's not unusual for liquor excise tax to climb when bar sales taxes are falling, and vice versa. Nor do restaurant sales and bar sales track closely.

Cold could be a problem

Not all bars say they've been hurt by the ban.

"It's definitely improved the smell of the place," said Josh Miller, bartender at SpeakEasy, 2030 S. Ohio.

Miller said the bar built a heated outdoor area for smoking customers.

"They really don't mind going outside," he said.

The comfort level for smokers who step outside to smoke is a concern.

"I think it's a bad deal going into cold season," said Fairchild, at Chuck's Bar. "We added a patio area, and because of where we're located we didn't have all the hoops to jump through. I probably haven't lost as many as some people have, but I've lost and I know it."

Best, who tends bar at Ringers, agrees.

"We have a backyard where they can smoke," she said. "It's not so bad if there's no rain or snow. We're going to see a lot of drop in business when it gets cold. I think we're going to feel it this winter."

n Reporter Duane Schrag can be reached at 822-1422 or by e-mail at dschrag@salina.com.

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