Evaluation of a Smoke-Free Ordinance in a Midwestern Frontier ...

Evaluation of a Smoke-Free Ordinance in a
Midwestern Frontier Community
Kelly Buettner-Schmidt
Principal Investigator
Tobacco Education, Research and Policy Project (TERPP)
Minot State University, Minot, ND
2005 National Conference on Tobacco or Health
Chicago, Illinois
May 4-6, 2005

Presentation Content
1. Synopsis of “Why Not Minot: The Battle Over
North Dakota’s First Smoke-Free Ordinance”
2. Assessment of the Ordinance:
• Voter Satisfaction
• Compliance
• Economic Impact
• Anecdotal Comments

Learner Outcome
• Assess and describe:
– the economic impact,
– voter support and
– compliance of a smoke-free ordinance in a
Midwestern frontier community.

Synopsis of “The Battle”
• Laying the Groundwork
• Passage at City Council
• Winning the Opposition Led Referendum
• Battling ongoing exemption efforts
• Implementation/Enforcement
• Evaluation

An Assessment of
Voter Satisfaction with Minot’s Smoke-Free
Restaurant Ordinance
403 Voters
October 28-30, 2003

Methodology
• 403 random telephone interviews among Minot, North
Dakota voters who voted in the most recent general
election, November 2002
• The results are weighted by age to more accurately reflect
the electorate in Minot, North Dakota
• Interviews were conducted from October 28-30, 2003.
• A random sample of 403 has a worst-case 95% confidence
interval of plus or minus 4.9% about any one reported
percentage
• Survey conducted on behalf of Minot State University by
Harstad Strategic Research

As you may know, a law went into effect in January 2002
prohibiting smoking inside restaurants in Minot. Now that this
law has been in effect for nearly two years, is it something you
support or oppose?
Oppose
17%
Somewhat
Oppose
Somewhat Support
Strongly Oppose
11%
6%
14%
Don’t Know
66%
Strongly
Support
Support
80%
Support among key groups
Non-smokers: 82%
Smokers: 65%
Men: 75%
Women: 86%

How much of a health hazard is exposure to secondhand
cigarette smoke?
Don’t Know
Not a health hazard at all
Minor health hazard 5%
11%
Serious +
Moderate
Health Hazard
82%
Moderate health
hazard
23%
59%
Serious health hazard

Minot Voters Agree That Restaurants Are Healthier & More
Enjoyable Now That They Are Smoke Free
Percent who agree with each statement
Strongly agree
Somewhat agree
Disagree
Minot restaurants are
healthier for customers
and employees since the
smoke-free ordinance
went into effect
68%
20%
88%
8%
It is more enjoyable to
go out to Minot
restaurants now that they
are smoke free
68%
12%
80%
12%

Minot Voters Believe The Rights of Customers & Employees
Are More Important Than The Rights of Smokers
Please tell me which statement is more important:
The rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air inside restaurants
The rights of smokers to smoke inside restaurants
The rights of smokers
to smoke
Neither
Both
3%
4%
Don’t Know
13%
78%
The rights of customer
and employees to
breathe clean air

Minot Voters Believe Peoples’ Right to Breathe Clean
Air Outweighs Business Owners’ Right to Choose
Please tell me which statement is closer to your view:
Business owners should have a right to decide if smoking is allowed
or prohibited in their establishments, so we should not have laws that
prohibit smoking inside workplaces, including restaurants.
People have a right to breathe clean air in restaurants and at work, so
we should have laws that prohibit smoking inside workplaces, including
restaurants.
Business owners
should have a right
to decide
35% 61%
People have a
right to breathe
clean air

Compliance of Minot Restaurants
with the Smoke-Free Restaurant Ordinance

Methodology
• Obtained a listing of licensed “RE” restaurants within
the City of Minot from local public health
environmental health division
• 87 restaurants total
– 5 were exempt
– 1 unable to be inspected
• 81 restaurants inspected between June and September
2003.

Methodology
• Visual assessment of each restaurant
• This visual inspection did not include an assessment
related to the separate ventilation requirements of the
ordinance
• Only three restaurants without bars and six
restaurants with attached bars implemented separate
ventilation systems
• Additionally, the Minot Police Department was
contacted to assess compliance issues determined by
the police department
• .

Summary of Findings
• Overall compliance with the restaurant ordinance was
high at 96% compliance
• 100% of the restaurants did not have anyone smoking
in the smoke-free areas
• 100% of the restaurants had all the ashtrays removed
from the smoke-free areas
• The Minot Police Department stated there have been
no problems with restaurant compliance.

Economic Impact Study

Methodology
• Objective data collected by the Office of the North
Dakota Tax Commissioner
– Numbers include all restaurant sales in Minot, not
just a sampling
– Data collected consistently by an agency with no
interest in the effects of local policy on restaurant
sales
• Six years of data collected and analyzed; five years
pre and one year post implementation of the
ordinance. Data collect from the first quarter of 1997
through the fourth quarter of 2002
– Adjusts for normal fluctuations in sales and any
seasonal patterns

Methodology
• Data analyzed using linear regression analysis
• Restaurant sales were analyzed as a fraction of the
total retail sales

Data
2002:03
0.12
0.1
0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
Restaurant Taxable Sales and Purchases /
Total Taxable Sales and Purchases (F)
Fitted
1999:01
1999:03
2000:01
2000:03
2001:01
2001:03
2002:01
1998:03
1998:01
1997:03
1997:01

Results
• “The implementation of the smoke-free ordinance
had no significant effect on the fraction of sales that
went to restaurants in Minot.”
• The results of the study showed the smoke-free
ordinance had no impact on restaurant sales for the
City of Minot.
• “Analysis of six years of sales tax data shows that
there was no economic effect of the smoke-free
ordinance on Minot restaurants in spite of claims that
the smoke-free ordinance would hurt restaurant
business.”

Supporting Anecdotal Evidence
from the
Minot Business Community

Supporting Anecdotal Evidence
• “…there seems to have been no negative effect on the
convention industry in Minot”and “…several (hotel
and convention facility) managers felt that it has
made a positive impact, even to the point of saying
that it has increased their business.”
– (March 7, 2005) Letter from Dusty Zimmerman,
Director of Convention Sales, Minot Convention
and Visitors Bureau

Supporting Anecdotal Evidence
• “…the increase in business was noticeable.”
• “Wait staff comments also were very favorable.”
• “It’s proven to me that success in the restaurant
business isn’t about smoking or not smoking, it’s
about providing high-quality food and high-quality
service on a consistent basis.”(March 14, 2005)
– Dean Aberle, Owner of Homesteaders Restaurant.
Written Testimony submitted to ND House Human
Services Committee on Senate Bill 2300.

Supporting Anecdotal Evidence
• “Kroll’s Diner owner Keith Glatt said a metrowide
ban on smoking in restaurants and bars makes the
most sense so some businesses don’t have
advantages. Kroll’s also has a restaurant in Minot,
N.D., where smoking recently was banned, and Glatt
said his sales have increased 10 percent to 15
percent.” (January 10, 2004) - The Fargo Forum
• “Business has been better. We’ve only been smokefree
for about a month, but the increase in business is
noticeable.”
– (July, 2001) - Dean Aberle, Owner of
Homesteaders Restaurant

Summary
Evaluation of the Minot Smoke-Free Ordinance found:
1. High voter satisfaction
2. High restaurant compliance
3. Neutral economic impact

Evaluation of a Smoke-Free Ordinance in a
Midwestern Frontier Community
Kelly Buettner-Schmidt
Principal Investigator
Tobacco Education, Research and Policy Project (TERPP)
Minot State University, Minot, ND
701-858-3256
Kelly.Schmidt@minotstateu.edu