At a minute past the stroke of midnight Saturday, smokers will turn into pumpkins and the smoking ban in Colorado takes effect.
Some cantinas planned to celebrate to commemorate the end of the nightlife’s tobacco era, and some will even give away their ashtrays.
Ladd Bosworth of Denver couldn’t be happier.
“I might be the smoking ban’s biggest fan,” said Bosworth, 30, a website designer, who says going into smoky bars has caused him sinus infections numerous times.
Saturday night, Bosworth plans to don a white T-shirt with an outline of black lungs painted on and rally a few dozen friends for a bar-hopping excursion across Denver.
“I started going out in other cities that passed smoking bans and realized immediately when you walk into a bar how much more pleasant it is, and how you don’t go home with your clothes reeking of smoke,” he said. “When the smoking ban passed, I figured we have to do something to celebrate.”
The new law prohibits smoking in most indoor public places, including bars, restaurants and office buildings. The few exceptions include smoking lounges at Denver International Airport, casinos, businesses with three or fewer workers and that are closed to the public, cigar bars and tobacco shops.
Owners of many small bars have fought the ban, fearing their businesses would feel the effects worse than larger businesses.
Some bar owners began setting aside space for patios, where smokers will still be allowed to puff away.
The Hornet, a popular bar just south of downtown, opened a 450-square-foot patio Friday night in the rear of the building just for smokers.
“We do have a pretty big smoking crowd,” assistant manager Melissa Jacobi said.
The Bull & Bush Brewery in Glendale embraced the smoking ban the only way its owners knew how, by throwing a smoking bash complete with whiskey shots served up in new, commemorative stamped ashtrays and a ceremonial extinguishing of cigarettes at the stroke of 12:01 a.m.
“We invited customers to come kick the habit with Soul Rabbit (the band booked for the party),” said general manager Katy Kennedy.
“For some people it’ll be a chance to celebrate and others to mourn the last day of public smoking in Colorado.”
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-820-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
