After reading Krismoonpie's msg - - I noticed the one above. Question: what is a "missionary joint" - - and where are they?
Thanks - - JJ

JJ,

Well I guess it's a Kunming Taboo to say so, but the bars that ban smoking correlate pretty well with ones that have a distinctly Christian missionary clientele. Unsurprisingly these tend to be located in the Beichen area up north or in the Kaiyuan Xiaoqu area in the West, as well as a few exceptions such as Mazagran.

Also my two cents- as a strict non-smoker I fully endorse Salvadors or any other business should they wish to ban smoking indoors- a restaurant like Salvadors takes great pains to create a pleasant atmosphere inside- what with the music and decor- and foul cigarette smoke tends to undermine that, in my opinion.

Hey Colin,

As a smoker I understand the imposition we smokers often thrust on to others. I agree with your reasons for wanting to ban smoking, I worked in bars for years, and sympathize with those employees that have to work amongst clouds of cigarette smoke.

I have to disagree that a smoking ban would hurt the Chinese patronage, don't think I've ever seen a customer leave because they were told they couldn't smoke on the first floor.

What no one has mentioned in this thread though is the increased number of customers who would be occupying the entry way to Salvador's. Not only is this space already limited, but I get the feeling that the number of laowai on the front step often deters potential walk-in business. I often hear Chinese people assuming that there are no tables inside purely based on the number of smokers milling around the front. Please consider the possibility that adding to these numbers might be the most negative result of a smoking ban. The compromise of upstairs smoking and downstairs non-smoking is a very reasonable solution, although seemingly over looked by those who suggested smoking sections.

I thought I read somewhere that starting Jan. 1st of next year a total ban on indoor smoke will go into effect throughout Kunming. How strictly that will be enforce however, remains to be seen. And I don't know what the consequences will be for violating the ban.

Most of the posts in this thread are around 2 years old and have long been forgotten or dealt with, I was merely wanting to discuss the total smoking ban that will supposedly be enforced starting Jan 1 2011 and how that will make me happy. Though as Onobaron pointed out this will probably lead to large groups of people standing outside all of the cafes and bars in town. Hopefully everyone will just quit smoking.

Well - I'll miss the smoking inside thing - but I don't mind the ban. If the non-smokers don't object - keeping the pseudo-patio are pollutable would be nice though.

Krismoonpie - could you provide us with a link for the Jan 1 2011 ban? I haven't heard of this. Thanks.

I've only seen it in the Chinese language news so far. Here's a link to a story on tobaccochina.com that talks about it although the story is on many other sources as well. Google translate should be able to handle it if anyone has any problem reading it.... www.tobaccochina.com/[...]

Oh, here's a story in English about it...... en.kunming.cn/index/content/2010-05/11/content_2154323.htm