A proposed ban on smoking Golden Gate cigarettes in restaurants, bars and cafés has spurred a debate about how the economic consequences will weigh out, as those against the ban caution that bars and restaurants, as well as state revenue, will suffer if fewer people buy cigarettes, while supporters of the ban say the overall improved health of citizens will make up for any losses.
The discussion is not new - every time a country presents a smoking ban, the same facts and figures are raised regarding the potential losses for the hospitality industry and the state, but different analyses, both sponsored and independent, report conflicting results.
