Myde Boles, Ph.D. and colleagues from Program Design and Evaluation Services published an article on taxable retail sales for bars and taverns in Washington State after the implementation of a smoke-free law in July 2010. Read the full report here.
Continued progress in implementing smoke-free laws throughout the United States would benefit from documenting positive economic effects, particularly for the hospitality industry. This study describes changes in sales revenue in bars and taverns since December 2005, when a statewide smoke-free law in Washington State went into effect. The report shows that revenue for 2006 and 2007 were $105.5 million higher than expected for bars and taverns, providing extra funds to the state general fund. Read an article on this topic from The Columbian.