Jennifer Pritchett
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 27/98) - More restaurants and coffee shops around the city are going smoke-free than ever before and owners are boasting the move is improving business.

Tim Horton's owner Pam MacAskill said business hasn't suffered at all since the coffee shop went smoke-free Sept. 14.

"Basically, the traffic in the store has been rerouted," he said.

"More tables are available...we don't have people who are staying in the store for hours with just a coffee and a cigarette. And we have more people going through the drive-thru."

The move has also made the environment healthier for the employees, as well as made the donuts taste better.

"Our product is better because it's not absorbing smoke," she said.

MacAskill also said only a few people have complained they can no longer light up and have a coffee, but she maintains that Tim Horton's head office is making all its stores outside Quebec smoke-free as of Jan. 1, 1999.

"We just wanted to do it a bit early to get people used to it," she said.

Brendan Bell, who owns Javaroma with his brother Adrian, said their business hasn't suffered either.

"It didn't affect business long-term," he said.

While Bell said he's not against people smoking in public places, he does stress that only larger restaurants can realistically have smoking sections that don't infringe on non-smokers.

"(But) I think people should have the choice. If you're big enough to have a legitimate smoking area, fine, but we aren't."

Bell said it's unlikely the coffee shop would ever become a smoking zone when business hasn't taking a dip.

Miriam Wideman, regional health promotion officer, said she's not surprised by the fact that business may actually be improving after the stores go smoke-free.

"Studies (done) in the south have revealed that it's the case."

Wideman also said the trend is an indication that the NWT is catching up to the rest of Canada when it comes to smoke-free zones.

"I think that it's a good step for the North because we're a few years behind," she said. "The thing to emphasize is that the message is getting out..."