SOME FIND GLENDALE SMOKING BAN A DRAG
by Corina Knoll

Los Angeles Times
June 23, 2009 Tuesday
Home Edition

Restricting cigarettes in outdoor public areas threatens a social
norm within the Armenian community.

They’ve been coming to Urartu Coffee for months, and every day it’s
the same. They sit. They sip. They smoke.

It’s hard to explain, the men say — there’s just something about
the taste of tar joining java.

But Jack Kakoyan, 28, and his friends may soon stop meeting at their
usual table, where they spend hours socializing in the sun. Because
while the tiny Glendale cafe serves up a great cup of Armenian coffee,
a viscous version of espresso, the city has adopted anti-smoking
ordinances that make their daily ritual illegal.

Now the suburb of 200,000 is in the midst of educating the public about
its prohibition on smoking in outdoor public areas, including parks,
parking structures and dining areas.

The no-smoking ban isn’t expected to be a major problem at some
Glendale attractions such as the Americana at Brand, a glitzy open-air
shopping area with luxury condos that has been smoke-free since it
opened a year ago. But for smaller cafes and eateries that cater to
the city’s large Armenian population, the law is nothing less than
a major cultural shift.

The Armenian community has made its mark on Glendale, making up
about a third of the city’s residents. But in Armenian society,
smoking after a meal or with coffee is a habit that the city might
find hard to break. This is especially true for newer immigrants.

"About 90% of Armenians smoke," Kakoyan said, offering a decidedly
unscientific statistic as he and four friends sat at Urartu’s outdoor
tables, each with a cigarette in hand. "Most of the people here want
to smoke with their coffee. I totally understand why you don’t smoke
inside — it will bother someone you’re next to. But we’re outside."

Gearing up for their night jobs as limo drivers and cabbies, the men
downed cups of joe and inhaled long drags from their brand of choice,
paying no attention to the city-issued decal affixed to the cafe door
that bore the universal sign for no smoking.

Inside, owner Urik Ghazalian, 46, shrugged at his customers’
disobedience. "People have been smoking for hundreds of years,"
he said. "You can’t stop it. I tell people it’s not a smoking
area. Sometimes they hide it or say they’ll pay the ticket."

Business owners have the option of sanctioning an outdoor smoking
area, but it must be 10 feet away from non-smokers. Ghazalian’s
storefront isn’t big enough to accommodate both, and he’s lost some
regulars. He’s in favor of people’s health, he said, but he wishes
City Council members had thought about those already struggling with
an economy in dire straits.

Although many continue to violate the law, Glendale has issued only
about 10 tickets, focusing first on spreading the word.

A marketing campaign that includes brochures, signage, public service
announcements and advertisements shown with previews at movie theaters
kicked off in February.

"Rather than just go out there and unilaterally issue citations, let’s
warn people and hope that people change voluntarily," explained Sam
Engel, the city’s neighborhood services administrator. "That’s worked
to a large degree. The community is noticeably more smoke-free than
it was six months ago."

Engel said that although Glendale does have a large Armenian
population, the percentage of residents who smoke in the city is
just 2% higher than the county average, according to L.A. County’s
Department of Public Health. But that’s not taking into account
underage smokers, as well as frequent visitors.

"We also have a large Korean community and our understanding is
the Korean community also has a higher average percentage" of
smokers, Engel said. "This is not unusual with any city that has a
first-generation immigrant population coming from countries where
smoking was more socially acceptable."

The City Council will meet in August to determine when education
will phase into full enforcement. Until then, the city’s fresh-air
ambassador, Armine Jimenez, will continue to canvass streets and
conduct presentations around town.

"Most of the people are very considerate and they want to comply," she
said. "It’s the 20% that are upset because they’re creatures of habit."

Jimenez said she’s received dozens of calls praising the city’s
stance on secondhand smoke. Some, like resident Jenny Cleveland,
would even like the restrictions extended to condominiums. The
33-year-old owner of a tutoring company worked long hours to save
up for her one-bedroom condo. But Cleveland’s home has not been the
haven she envisioned after a smoker moved into the downstairs unit.

"He stands on the balcony and smokes," she said. "I have a sliding
glass door so it just comes directly into my bedroom." Cleveland said
the result has been a persistent cough, itchy eyes and the smell of
smoke in her bedsheets.

But smokers argue that they have already ceded indoor spaces to
non-smokers so outdoor areas should be fair game.

"Outside, the smoke disappears in a second," said Leo Asatryan,
manager of a new fusion restaurant that will soon open on Chevy Chase
Drive. "Cars pollute. Are we going to ban cars?"

Asatryan, 23, added that although he doesn’t smoke, he wouldn’t want
smoking customers to feel unwelcome — though he admitted he’s not
terribly worried.

"Honestly, I don’t think anybody’s going to follow it," he said.

Some Armenian-owned businesses, however, have embraced the
ordinance. Raffi’s Place, known for its spicy beef kebab plate, is
entirely smoke-free, even though the main dining room is outside and
could have accommodated a smoking section.

"We decided it was the right thing to do," said manager Armond
Bakijanian, 30. "Even people who smoke don’t like smoke in their face
while they’re eating."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress