By Kristen George
Staff Writer

The state Senate Judiciary Committee voted in April to approve a proposal for a statewide smoking ban. The ban would outlaw smoking in restaurants, but would allow some bars to apply for a permit that would allow smoking.

The statewide ban has garnered the support of some who oppose the various municipal smoking bans that have been enacted around the state.

“Ideally you’d like to ban smoking in all public places, but politically that’s not possible,” said the bill’s main sponsor, Sen. Greg Gregory, R-Lancaster. “We can’t pass a bill that’s going to ban smoking in bars, so this is the next best thing.”

The bill is based on a similar law enacted in Georgia in May 2005, Gregory said.

Bars that would qualify for a smoking permit must possess a South Carolina liquor license and must either be located in a stand-alone building or be separated from a non-smoking restaurant by a full wall and have an independent ventilation system. In addition, no one under the age of 18 would be permitted to enter the bar at any time.

Tom Sponseller, president and CEO of the S.C. Hospitality Association, said while the association does not necessarily support a smoking ban, it would rather see a statewide ban than separate bans in various municipalities. When one municipality enacts a ban, the businesses within that municipality stand to lose significant business to nearby towns that do not have bans. A statewide ban would eliminate that.

In addition, Sponseller said by allowing some establishments to apply for a smoking permit would give owners some control over what they believe is best for their business.

“Almost everybody who owns their own business believes that as a business owner, they should be the decision-makers,” Sponseller said. “It is their investment and they should be the ones deciding what is best for their investment. If they believe allowing smoking is better for their business and they are willing to spend the money on a separate ventilation system and limit their clientele to an over-18 crowd, it is beneficial for them to have that option.”

Tim Runyen, owner of Bert’s Island Character Bar & Grill on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston, said his businesses has lost about 40% in total sales volume since Sullivan’s Island enacted a smoking ban in July 2006. To make ends meet, he’s had to raise food prices about 10% and nearly double drink prices, as well as eliminate his end-of-year employee bonuses. Still, while he doesn’t support a smoking ban, Runyen said he’d much rather see it on the state level than the local level.

“I still believe that if the federal government says smoking is legal, the state doesn’t have any right to say it is illegal. But if they’re going to ban smoking, they need to make it unilateral,” Runyen said. “(Since the local ban was enacted), my business has gone two miles down the road where they can smoke.”

The provision that would allow bars to apply for a permit isn’t much comfort, Runyen said. During the summer months, parents bring their children into the bar for lunch. By applying for the permit, he would have to prohibit anyone under 18 from entering the bar at any time.

“I’m not sure what I’d do. You’d be allowed to smoke, but I’d have to give up the other half of my business,” Runyen said. “Frankly, I ought to just go out of business and move to another state.”

If that is the case for Runyen, he may be quickly running out of options. According to the National Restaurant Association, 24 states have banned smoking in all pubic places and 16 states have imposed restrictions on smoking in public places. South Carolina is one of just 10 states that currently have no statewide restrictions or bans.

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