Will it come to this — renting ashtrays?

YOUNGSTOWN -- It was the first Friday night that the smoking ban in Ohio was implemented, and area bars and clubs reacted with different measures.

Owners of Imbibe Martini Bar, 124 Federal Plaza West, said they didn't notice much change from a typical night, although they no longer permitted smoking inside the bar.

One owner of Imbibe, Atty. Jeff Kurz, said although the state has delayed enforcement of penalties, "We're enforcing it like it's a real law."

"Eventually, it's going to be a constitutional issue. But here, there's no signs of smoking and we encourage patrons to follow the law," Kurz said. "The law is the law. We encourage our patrons to follow the law.

"The patrons haven't complained. They've been great," Kurz said. "We haven't lost any business."

He and fellow owner Brad Schwartz, said the room was a little brighter from the lack of smoke, but it was otherwise hard to judge any impact of a smoking ban in so few days since it began. They said the third owner of Imbibe works for a tobacco company and was out of town Friday on business.

In Imbibe, there were no ashtrays, and although some patrons lit up inside, they went out to the sidewalk with no commandment to do so.

"It's good for our employees, because most of them smoke," Kurz said. "They don't want to go out into the cold to smoke."

Kurz said he noticed some change in the atmosphere with patrons being unable to smoke in the bar, but not a large change.

"We're following the letter of the law, but we're not being jerks about it," he said.

Schwartz said he noticed the length of stay of some customers.

"It seems like the non-smokers are staying longer, but the smokers are staying shorter because they want to go smoke," Shwartz said.

Both said they would follow the law, but were still worried it could hurt business. They said they wouldn't try to find any loopholes because "there aren't any," Kurz said.

"We didn't lose business in the past because of smoking, and we haven't lost any yet. Hopefully we won't," Kurz said.

But at the Nyabinghi, 1229 Salts Spring Road, there was little change from a typical night. One bartender said smoking was permitted in the bar, as the clientele lit up as on a usual night. Ashtrays were in their usual places on the bar, and smokers in the establishment paid little attention to the new legislation.

There were no signs on the doors, windows or walls indicating any change in normal policy.

However, at Cedar's Lounge, 23 N. Hazel St., smoking was completely prohibited. Members of the performing band and patrons went out the front doors to smoke before and after their sets.

The doorperson at Cedar's, Jessica Wasko, said other than the band retreating to the barfront frequently, she had heard few complaints from customers.

At The Wedge, 1743 Raccoon Road, smoking was discouraged but not completely prohibited.

One room in the bar was designated for smokers. It was separated by a hallway and doors.

"We are abiding to the spirit of the law by not having ashtrays available and designating a separate room for smoking," manager Jonathan Butler said.

The room consisted of a non-functional bar and several tables and chairs. As patrons walked in to smoke, Butler offered to get patrons drinks from the operational bars in the club.

"I understand that you shouldn't smoke, or not smoke as much as you do, but you should be able to make a choice. Proprietors of establishments should be able to provide people with that choice," Butler said.

Butler and several members of his staff said that they thought the law regarding smoking was too strict.

"If they want to get crazy with this, they should be concerned with zoning," Butler said. "It should be a case by case basis."

Several bartenders at local establishments said they heard rumors that Barley's, 21 Federal Plaza, was going to charge customers to rent ashtrays. The money, several said, would be spent on paying any fines the bar or customers could encounter in the future.

Upon asking one bartender if smoking was permissible in Barley's, she shrugged and put an ashtray on the counter.

Others mentioned the possibility of the rumored plan in the future, but did not charge for the use of the ashtray and looked away from patrons who were smoking.

At the Petro Travel center on Salt-Springs, one supervisor said she could notice the change in clientele as a result of the smoking ban.

"A lot of our regulars are smokers," supervisor Sara Wilhelm said. "I can notice the change, even though it's only been three days."

Wilhelm said the hardest hit group could be the employees, who could smoke on the job before.

"Thankfully, our company is nice. They give us two 15-mintue breaks and one half-hour break," Wilhelm said.

She said employees were permitted to smoke "down the hall and outside," which is a part of the business few patrons can see. There are also still ashtrays out front of the restaurant.

Wilhelm said she's only had one problem with a customer refusing to not smoke on the premise and has received several complaints from customers.

"It's a big change for us. Before, customers could smoke in the game room, smoke in the restaurant, smoke anywhere they wanted," she said. "But everyone has been pretty good about it."