First day of controversial smoking ban comes to a close

Описание: (31 Mar 2003) DATELINE: 30 MARCH 2003, NEW YORK


1. Wide exterior of Molly's Pub
2. Pan of pub's interior
3. Close-up of beer, zooms out to pub owner Peter O'Connell serving a customer
4. Close-up of "no smoking" sign, pan to restaurant customer
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter O'Connell, Pub owner:
"We are hoping that the customer we lose to the smoking ban, will become the customer that won't come in because of the preponderance of smoke in the establishment. So we hope there won't be too long of an adjustment period before we replace the smokers with the non-smokers that wouldn't come in."
7. Mid shot of customer having lunch, pan to fire place with "no smoking" sign
8. Wide of bar
9. SOUNDBITE (English), Diane Draeger, pub customer:
"I think that putting this ban in place is very unfortunate for it's timing. It's very stressful to be in New York right now, and to take away one of the simple pleasures that people have in public places, I think it's going to add to to the stress and it's going take away from businesses which are having tough times in the city right now."
10. Wide of bar with customer holding cigarette pack
11. Close up of cigarette pack
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Jimmy Egan, smoker and customer:
"It's very possible that I would break the law, yeah. I am a serious smoker. I smoke two packs a day, like I said, I have been doing that for God's know how long. I have tried to quit on lots of occasions with little success but not because somebody else was trying to make me, I can't tolerate that."
13. Close-up of coffee mug with cigarette pack
14. Close-up of Jimmy Egan lighting a cigarette outside
15. Wide of Molly's Pub with Jimmy Egan smoking

STORYLINE
New Yorkers woke up to a smoke free city on Sunday as a result of a ban on smoking indoors that became effective at one minute past midnight.

The ban covers all work places, including bars, small restaurants, bingo parlours and other venues not covered by the city's previous smoking law.

Owners of establishments could be fined 400 US dollars for allowing smoking and eventually could have their business licenses suspended.

Many smokers and non-smokers argue that the ban came at an inappropriate time with the stress of the war in Iraq and possible terrorism threats.

At Molly's, a typical Irish pub in midtown Manhattan, a non-smoker asserted that "to take away one of the simple pleasures that people have in public places is going to add to the stress and take away from businesses which are having tough times in the city right now."

Bars and restaurants owners were hoping the ban will bring them new non-smoking customers and that they won't lose too many clients.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a former smoker himself, pushed through the ban with a zeal that angered smokers and even some nonsmokers.

"Fundamentally, people just don't want the guy next to them smoking," Bloomberg said. "People will adjust very quickly and a lot of lives will be saved."

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