The recent amendment to Madison's citywide smoking ban has drawn mixed reactions. The exemption allows bars that earn at least 10 percent of their income from house tobacco sales to allow cigar smoking in their establishments.
Opponents of the exemption claim that the amendment is unfair. The only bar that currently meets the exemption requirements is Maduro, 117 E. Main St.
Why this place? Why Maduro and not several other places that could also be arguing just as forcefully that they're impacted negatively by the ban?\ asked Ald. Judy Olson, District 6. Olson and other critics of the amendment argued if changes are made to help one bar, then it is not fair to stop business owners from wanting exceptions for their own taverns.
""If all you do is focus on this one establishment, the issues seem minor and easy to handle,"" Olson said. ""But then if you step back and take a larger view, it becomes apparent to me that the same economic argument can be applied any to any other establishments that have or claim to have experienced economic problems from the smoking ban … A wholesale rollback of the smoking ban would be the next step.""
Kami Eshraghi, proprietor of the Kimia Lounge, 14 W. Mifflin St., agreed. ""The more exemptions we have, the happier I am … Last night's exemption really doesn't make that much of a difference, but at least it's a crack in the door,"" Eshraghi said. ""I'm glad to see it help at least one business.""
Eshraghi said the exemption was worded specifically for Maduro, as the 10 percent tobacco sale cutoff only includes cigar sales. Eshraghi said the Kimia Lounge would be eligible if cigarettes counted toward the quota.
Additionally, Eshraghi expressed doubt the exemption would help Maduro for long, predicting that if Maduro became popular, it would be hard pressed to sell enough cigars to remain eligible for the exemption.
Despite some negative reactions to the amendment, supporters of the amendment argue that cigar bars deserve an exception to the ban.
""Cigar bars were created specifically to cater to cigar smokers. The ban went a little to far to include cigar bars and I'm glad we corrected that [Tuesday] night,"" said Ald. Austin King, District 8.
King also stated that it could be possible for other bars to be included under the exemption as long as they meet the minimum requirement for tobacco sales.
Yet, according to King ""it's very implausible that a normal bar that tries to sell a few cigars would succeed at getting past that 10 percent threshold.""
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