Supporters say smoking ban was long overdue

Avid bowler Peter Poon said Indianapolis' recently enacted smoking ban was long overdue.

Poon said the thick haze from a cigarette was too much for him.

"The smoke, just killed me," said Poon.

On the lanes next to Peter's at Woodland Bowl Wednesday was a group from Smoke Free Indy. The group was celebrating smoke free bowling alleys.

"They said, 'Well it is about the children,' and this protects children where the ban passed in 2005 did not protect children because our bowling alleys still smoked," said Lindsay Grace with Smoke Free Indy.

Reporter: "Does it help your game though?"
Poon: "We will find out soon enough.  It definitely will not hurt it."

Indianapolis-area bar owners said that ban is hurting their business, though.  Beckie Hicks with the Pit Stop Bar and Grill said sales have dropped 60 percent since they went smoke free.

“Customers my come in and they may have just one beer.  They may just come in to say, ‘Hi, how are you?  Have not seen you in a while.  We are not staying because we can not smoke,’” said Hicks.

The Pit Stop was not alone, a dozen Indy area bars are banding together to file a federal lawsuit against the smoking ban.

"(It's) a violation of thecivil rights of these individuals and these businesses," said Attorney Mark Small.

Lindsay Grace with Smoke Free Indy said she is confident the ban will hold up, though.

"I think giving it two weeks is a little premature to do any real scientific data,” said Grace.  “I think we are paying attention to that and we are there to help those bar owners if they do feel as though they are losing some business."

But bar owners said more time will only mean more damage to their bottom line.

“Our business has been less than half of what it was.  We just do not have the people in there,” said Wanda Goodpaster with Road Dog Saloon.  “People are just not coming in.”