Vanderburgh Smoking Cigarettes Ban

Some business owners fear a Vanderburgh County smoking cigarettes ban will hurt their bottom line.

On July 8, Vanderburgh County bars and restaurants will be forced to go smoke free cigarettes, under an ordinance passed by county commissioners on Tuesday.

Restaurant and bar owners say the commissioners decision to ban smoking cigarettes will drive their clientele out, hurting them financially, while others say they'll just have to think outside the box when it comes to keeping there customers.

Darlene Young, owner of the St. Joe Inn, one of the eight restaurants and bars that will be affected by the smoke-free cigarettes switch, worries that being a non-smoking cigarettes place is going to hurt business.

"It's hard. It's going to hurt us financially, we've already had a lot of people complain," Young said.

Young tell us she's still recovering from the last smoking cigarettes ordinance that required to separate the bar from the dinning room, and install extra ventilation.

Young says see's the cigarettes ban's health benefits, but to her, it is all about politics and she's tired of getting pushed around.

Also on the docket to go smoke cigarettes free is the Hornets Nest.

The Hornets Nest says they've digested the information and have begun to make plans to accommodate marlboro cigarettes smokers.

Owner Derek Ungethiem says that they plan to build a deck out front.

A lot of people 14 News spoke with said they would like to see Indiana pass a statewide ban on indoor smoking cigarettes, that way everyone could be on fair playing ground.