Bar owners disappointed in court upholding smoking ban

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — In a blow to bar owners, a ruling Wednesday by the Indiana Court of Appeals upheld Indianapolis’ smoking ban.

The court also ruled to take away the only exemption to the smoking ban at Centaur Gaming’s Indianapolis off-track betting site called The Winner’s Circle.

Since 2012, bar owners in Marion County have been fighting the ban saying it hurts business.

Jennifer Liford owns the Thirsty Turtle bar.

“I allow no one in here under 21 and it should be our right to be able to smoke in this bar,” she said.

She said the smoking ban has been detrimental to her business.

“We’ve been fighting this now for three years. As you can see, my bar is empty,” Liford said.

She said on a typical Wednesday evening before 2012, the now empty seats in her dining area would have been filled with thirsty customers.

“My business has gone down 70 percent,” she said.

She said the majority of those customers are now going to other areas that still have indoor smoking.

“Beech Grove is five minutes away and you can smoke in every bar in Beech Grove,” she said.

On the east side of Indianapolis, Riff Raff’s owner Phyllis Borem shares Liford’s sentiments.

She said 90 percent of her customers smoke and many have stopped hanging out at her bar.

“Smoking goes along with drinking, it always has, so you can’t smoke, so why stay in here very long,” Borem said.

She has a smoking area outside on a back patio, but said that just isn’t enough to keep people around, especially in the summer.

“Nobody wants to come sit on the porch where it’s hot,” she said.

Liford said she would like to continue to appeal the court’s decision to keep the smoking ban.

But Borem is afraid bar owners might be all out of fight.

“I guess it’s time to just accept it as it is,” Borem said.

The court’s ruling said that those bars will have to keep banning indoor smoking.