Bars and pubs feel effects of statewide smoking ban after just one week

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Bartender Robby Wood makes his living off serving people cold brews.

"Some people are still not used to the fact. The other day I asked a guy to go outside, because he didn't know we switched over," Wood said.

He's talking about the state's smoking ban on bars and pubs that serve guests under twenty one years of age. It's been a week since the ban went into effect, and Wood says he'll need more time to tell, but business has actually done better this week than in previous times.

"We did get a few extra customers added to it," Wood said.

He says people who normally wouldn't visit the bar because it allowed smoking - came in on the very first day it was banned.

But that wasn't the case everywhere.

At Main Street Pub in South Bend, workers and regular customers didn't want to go on camera, bus said business has been "dead".

"Most complaints we get is having to go outside in the heat and whatnot. And then in the winter, that's going to be another issue, it's too cold to go outside," Wood said.

He thinks businesses should have the right to allow their customers to smoke, but isnt' too upset by the law, because there are plenty of Between the Buns locations nearby that do allow smoking.