While it’s hard to imagine smoky offices and public places today, many Oklahomans are still exposed to secondhand smoke at work. Over 200,000 people work in bars, restaurants and casinos in Oklahoma and are not protected by clean indoor air laws.
More than half of U.S. states have passed comprehensive smokefree laws to protect residents and reduce smoking rates, yet Oklahoma remains one of only two states that prohibits communities from passing tobacco control measures and lacks clean air laws. As a result, workers and patrons in the state are at risk of exposure to secondhand smoke, which contains of 7,000 toxic chemicals, including 70 carcinogens. The risk of lung cancer is up to 30% higher for employees and musicians who are exposed to secondhand smoke.
“For me, as a singer, you can only get so far before that starts to affect you.” said Eric Himan, an award-winning musician based in Oklahoma City. “It is your workplace. It’s sad. If you really want gigs, or really want the money, you have to sacrifice knowing you’re going into a space that’s going to be hard for you to do your job.”
Opponents of smokefree laws argue it’s bad for the hospitality industry, yet evidence from revenue and employment levels in states with smokefree laws shows the contrary, often having a positive effect on business.
This has been true for Edna’s, an iconic dive bar in Oklahoma City. After 40 years of business, several of which included customers complaining about the smoky atmosphere, Edna’s went smokefree in 2020.
“Your mindset at first is — this is financial suicide. How is this going to work? How do we tell our everyday customers who smoke in there that they’re not going to be able to?” said bar owner, Tammy Lucas. “We mulled that over for a long time, and it was scary decision to make.”
To her relief, the customer and staff response was overwhelmingly positive.
“I’m just happy that we can provide the space to be smokefree and go out and have a good time,” Lucas said. “Before, we almost alienated nonsmokers.”
Recent data supports this idea. For the first time ever, the adult smoking rate in Oklahoma has dipped below 17%, and 78% of all Oklahomans support a statewide ban, according to a 2022 survey.
Oklahoma musician and filmmaker, Beau Jennings, has watched this shift over the years.
“Early on, it was just a given, and something you dealt with ... Now, I won’t play a place if it’s smoky because it’s not worth it for me,” said Jennings.
When Stonecloud Stillwater opened in July 2022, it didn’t have a smokefree policy. The brewery aims to be a gathering space with board games, trivia nights and live music, but it struggled to balance that goal while also allowing patrons to smoke.
General Manager Matt Sullins was thrilled when Shelby Keller approached him with the idea to go smokefree. Keller is the assistant coordinator for the TSET Healthy Living Program in Payne County, a community-based grants program of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET). Keller offered to help the brewery adopt and promote a smokefree policy.
“There wasn’t any pushback,” Keller said. “Workers like the policy because it’s a healthier environment for them and for the community. And since it’s a taproom, kind of a community center, they want everyone to be able to come and hang out.”
“My staff and our regulars love that we are smokefree,” Sullins said.