Tobacco Documents Online

(Photo by Den;el G. Dunn) Recently the Italian Village restaLqrant in SINCE Feb. 15, Andy Boyce has banned smok- ing completely at Heffie's Ice Cream and Res- Wakefield banned smoking as well, ind::ative, ! taurant. The poiicy-has cost him some of a slowly growing national trend. customers but he says he has gained others. Heffie's goes smoke-free '~°qc ce cream store owner loses, gains customers By CATHARINE CLAPP NORTH KINGSTOWN - Heffie's Ice Cream and Res- _ taurant on oston eck Road is lighting up the lives of its non- smoking customers by asking smokers not to light up in its eatery anymore. Heffie's went smoke-free Feb. 15, after owner Andv Boyice decided the effects of second- hand smoke were too dangerous to risk his health, atsd_tliat of his customers and empldyees. "I've been wanting to be smoke-free for years. It was a -'mattec of getting"the nerve up," said Boyce, who has owned the landmark ice cream and burger stop for 17 years. Until now, the restaurant had only three tables set aside as a no-smoking section, but Boyce said that didn't necessarily provide a smoke-free environ- ment. Recently the Environmental Protection Agency ruled secon- dary smoke a Type A car- cinogen, and that convinced Boyce to accept the loss of a feww customers to save the health of others. `.`.Now that we know. that: secondary smoke is a killer, it was hard to bill myself as a fami- ly restaurant and subjcct them to second-hand smoke," said Boyce. He contacted the American lTancer Society, which helps all typ of businesses go smoke- free, and worked with a repre- sentative to make the transition. "It scared the daylights out of. me when I did it." said Boyce, but has found many customers thrillc& with his move. ."People were congratulating us like we'd just won a marathon." Turn to Heffie'k 14-A I 'vvlCin c,t- n, !99 3

AAERA' ~HSL1 1 ',:;:LS uar.Ej-IEi.a, r.i YEDKESuAY t1AR 11 1993 LO t Restaurant's patrons clear Owner bans butts, w°.~ bis' Q ~customers thrilled loses customers "People were congratulating us V like we'd just won a marathon." By CATHAFtMCLAPP Former smoker Joan Seander was enjoying a breakfast of Heffie's N'O RT H K I N G S TO W N- waffles the other morning, uninter- Heffie's Ice Cream and Restaurant Npted1by wafts of cigarette smoke. on Boston Neck Road is lighting up I think smokers ten& to be very tlie livcs of its non-smoking cus- selfish, otherwise we wouldn t have done it (smoked) in the first tomers by asking smokers not to light up in its eatery anymore place. Risking that you can affect . Heffie's went smoke-free Feb. 15, other~people's lives is pretty scary after owner Andy Boyce decided stuff, said Seander. the effects of second-hand smoke "I really admire his courage to do were too dangerous to risk his it," she added, of Boyce s decision. health, and that of his customers Steven Lerner, one of the area and employees. representatives with the Cancer -"I've been wanting to be smoke- Society who helped Boyce, said free for years. It was a matter of he's gone to Heffie's since he was getting the nerve up," said Boyce, a kid. who has owned the landmark ice "We feel as though Andy's made cream and burger stop for 17 years. a great cotnmitment. His business Until now, the restaurant had only is unique in that it's customer- three tables set aside as a no-smok- oriented. It's:not necessarily an ing section, but Boyce said that easy thing, but it's a good thing." didn't necessarily provide a "There should be something to tmnlrv-frnw onvirnmmAnf protect you; especially in a small Recentl the Environmental '°"°°'°ist liAb WW, JYIY a.vY y l ' Protection Agency ruled secondary smoke a Type A carcinogen, and that convinced Boyce to accept the loss of a few customers to save the health of others. "Now that we know that secon- dary smoke is a killer, it was hard to bill myself as a family restaurant and subject them to second-hand smoke." said Boyce. He contacted'ttie American Can- ccr Society, which helps all types of businesses go smoke-free, and worked with a representative to make the transition.._ . "It scarcd the dayliehts out of me when I did it," said [3oyce„but has M ~ r-, ~ _J \^ V, ar. NeverthCless, she and her hus- Dutra, a Hell-ies regu Dutra owns the Jamestown band orderedasmoke-eaterforthe h h ear d a out f ter t ey b restaurant a ntry Club restaurant, and said Cou such a policy would be difficult for the EPA ruling, and stopped smok- him to institute since his diners ing around their kids, she said. linger over long meals. But for the diners that Heffie's "But anybody can stop smoking may have lost, Boyce said he's for an hour." he said. gained families that now feel com- Is it fair to banish smokers from fortable bringing their children in their favorite eateries? for rrieals knowing the air will be "l think it's fair as long as they're clear. putting other people in danger,"' "This is the only place they can said Lerner -Tbey have to respect g id .,. " h e sa o the rights of other people." "Mostly everyone's been real N SINCE Feb. 15, Ant:> .Another factor that- convinced nice about it, they're-:happy to- 0 ing completelvat Flr~ Boyce to go ahead with the smok- oblige,"'said waitress Sherry N taurant. The puli!, inQ ban was a recent American Duclos. w customers but hp Cancer Society study which found that non-smokers exposed to 20 or more cigarettes a day had twice the risk of developing lung cancer. He figured he and his employees were easily exposed to 40 ci;aret- tes just during the breakfast shift. Merry Jane Murray has been serv- ing breakfast at Hcffie's for about. six weeks, and said'most customers seem to have adjusted to the new policy. "There was a lot of grumbling at first, from the regulars that sit at the counter, but most of them are still coming here. On the way out: they'll hit the door and light up," she said. Down the road at E & J Res- taurant, owner Jean Pascucci said she has had about three customers come in and say they'll never go back to Heffie's because of the smoking policy. "We have quite a few smokers as customers. We rarely have people that request no smoking," she said.