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After a long week of working hard, some young adults like to hang out at bars or clubs where they socialize, meet new friends, listen to music and dance. For years, most of these hang-out spots in Mecklenburg County allowed smoking, and non-smokers were exposed to secondhand smoke. With the new law, smoking is now prohibited in bars and restaurants giving some people a reason to rejoice.
Shammara Landrum, a native of Rutherfordton, NC, welcomes the new law because, apart from limiting exposure to secondhand smoke, it’s going to cut the number of her visits to a hair stylist. “It is really annoying to come out from a bar smelling like smoke,” Landrum said. “For us ladies, it’s in your hair, and you have to get your hair cleaned to get rid of the smell.”
Landrum, who goes out two to three times a week, also said it was difficult to have conversations in a bar when some smokers would be blowing smoke in her face. “Me and my friends when we go hang out, it’s difficult to focus on meeting new individuals when people are smoking. It’s kind of a deterrent,” Landrum said.
Chicago native Matt Adamec works in the city and goes out about five times a month and says he likes the new law. “It’s fantastic,” Adamec said. “When you are hanging out and having fun you don’t want to be around smoke from cigarettes. It’s not healthy and pleasurable.”
Jen Mackin, originally from Philadelphia, moved to work in Charlotte in 2008 and is also excited about the change in the North Carolina law. “I like it that I am not going to come home smelling like smoke,” Mackin said. “I hate the smoke. The less secondhand smoke I am exposed to the better.”
Mackin goes out four times a week “to hang out with some friends and just have a good time.” Some smokers understand the health reasons behind the passing of the law and will consider quitting smoking.
Joel Were, who works in uptown Charlotte, is already working on quitting smoking. “The ban is going to accelerate my efforts to quit,” Were said. “There is now a sense of urgency, since I don’t have the freedom to smoke at many places. After all, quitting is also a long term health benefit.” Were, who has been a smoker for 20 years, said he smokes 10 cigarettes a day, but on a night when he goes out, he smokes a whole pack. It looks like blowing off steam after a long week is now a little bit healthier and a lot more enjoyable.
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