One month later, smoking ban bad for business?

Smokers are flexing their financial muscle a month into the statewide smoking ban.

They aren't exactly boycotting bars, casinos and other places where they used to smoke, but they're clearly not spending as much time there.

And that means a drop in business.

"It's not dramatic, but it's down I'd say about 10 percent," said Steve Mitchell, manager of Miss Kitty's Saloon in Naperville. "The people are coming, but they're not staying near as long as they used to."

The effect is even more dramatic along some of the state's border communities.

Karen Jakstas, owner of the Mineola Marina and Lounge in Fox Lake, said people are now crossing the nearby Wisconsin border to smoke while they drink.

"They either come in for one or two (drinks), then go to a house party or head over to Wisconsin to smoke," she said. "My business is down about 30 percent, and it can be directly attributed to smoking."

Wisconsin is located about five minutes from Fox Lake's and Antioch's downtowns, and less than a mile from the nearest Fox Lake tavern. The closest Wisconsin tavern is about 90 seconds from its neighboring Fox Lake tavern.

Some bars and restaurants are changing their business approach to make up for the loss of revenue.

"We're going to have to focus more on the food end of it," said Paul Groh, owner of Crossroads Tavern & Eatery in Wood Dale. "That's always been a big part for us, but we're really going to start pushing that and maybe add a couple things like catering to make up for the loss of income."

Groh said his liquor receipts are off as much as 20 percent compared to the same period last year.

Same deal at the casinos.

Data from six of the state's nine casinos during a 10-day period in early January show roughly a 20 percent drop, said Tom Swoik, executive director of the Illinois Casino Gaming Association, which will collect data throughout the year to analyze the impact of the smoking ban on the gambling industry.

"We're very cautious with the figures because we've had some bad weather the first part of the month," he said. "But it appears one of the problems is not people leaving the state. The bigger concern is that it appears they're spending less time at the games. Admission isn't down that much, but revenue is."

Instead of pulling slot machine arms with a cigarette dangling out of their mouths, gamblers who smoke go outside for a puff, leaving machines and seats at card tables unused for longer periods of time.

"We've created some smoking lounges at our properties," said Eric Schippers, vice president of public affairs for Penn National Gaming, which operates the Hollywood Casino in Aurora. "Obviously they're off the gaming floor and outside, but they're in convenient locations for smokers to leave and come back quickly."

Bar owners have tried to accommodate smokers as well, usually by setting up smoking areas behind the establishments.

"We put an ashtray out there, but it's not covered," Miss Kitty's Mitchell said. "They have to be 15 feet away from the doors."

Things haven't been doom and gloom at every bar, though.

"We're seeing more people," said Bob Arbizzani, owner of the Flagstone Pub in Geneva. "The servers are busier than they were before, but the food sales are just breaking even what we've lost in bar sales."

The impact of the ban hasn't done much to change smokers' habits.

"I don't really smoke less, just faster," said Matt Porter, who was enjoying a beer between smoking breaks out back at Bono's Pub in Lisle. "I think it's stupid."

While smokers may think the law's stupid, they appear to be complying with it. Health officials reported more than 1,100 complaints statewide during the first 28 days, but citations are few.

"It looks like we've had three complaints and one citation," said Naperville Police Cmdr. Dave Hoffman. "We had a fight at a bar that was caused by someone who wouldn't put out a cigar and he pushed and punched a bouncer who asked him to extinguish it. He was charged with simple battery, and we added the smoking violation, too, since that's what started it."