Smoking in Bars

Re “Bar Patrons Still Smoke Despite Ban,” Jan. 15: It seems obvious that the big losers in this fiasco are the restaurant and tavern owners who respect and obey the law. We are seeing some of our best customers defect to bars that still allow smoking.

The idea of giving two citations before you are fined is ridiculous. It just buys more time for the violators to build up a customer base at the expense of those who are in compliance.

If the city does not have the will or the resources to enforce the smoking ban, they should level the playing field before the good guys get killed.

JACK GOLD

Valley Inn Restaurant

Sherman Oaks