Mayor Bloomberg Knows You’re Smoking Late at Night

Irina Aleksander — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 17:53:25 -0400

Despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg's 5-year-old ban on smoking in bars, patrons are still lighting up after hours. If you've ever been to the Beatrice Inn or Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel last at night, this isn't exactly news. But rarely is it pointed out—with 1,800 or so words devoted to the topic—as it is in this week's Page Six Magazine.

A spokesperson for the Rose Bar told the magazine, "The Rose Bar is extremely vigilant in preventing smoking by our patrons. There is a full-time staffperson whose sole responsibility is to monitor and prevent smoking within the bar." But Page Six's Sara Cardace, visiting the bar on a Thursday, spotted several patrons puffing, and quoted other sources pointing fingers at celebrity-hosting places like Citrine, SubMercer, and GoldBar.

Mayor Bloomberg is either clueless or willfully ignorant, Ms. Cardace concludes:

It's been five years since Mayor Mike Bloomberg banned smoking in bars. And no offense to Hizzoner, but if this is the best the city can do to put an end to nightlife cigarette culture, we can kiss all hope of a balanced budget goodbye. In his defense, maybe the mayor has no idea. We're guessing he doesn't hit the Beatrice Inn very often—and that he wasn't at Citrine last month, when Page Six spotted Shannen Doherty smoking like a chimney at a private party.

But a rep for the mayor's office contacted via email by Daily Transom, had this to say:

Despite the assertions of page 6 magazine [sic], compliance with the smoking ban has gotten better over time, not worse. Overall compliance with the smoking ban is 94%. Department of Health inspectors are conducting more late night inspections targeting food service establishments and areas with higher risks for smoking violations.

(We increased our late night inspections because we found bars are more likely to let people smoke late at night because they do not expect inspections to occur.)

Observer » Mayor Bloomberg Knows You’re Smoking Late at Night

Mayor Bloomberg Knows You’re Smoking Late at Night