The effects of smoking laws on seating allocations of restaurants, bars, and taverns
利用全国性调查数据，检验吸烟法是否影响餐馆和酒吧的座位分配，发现法律对座位分配无显著影响，而顾客偏好才是关键因素。
Supporters of smoking laws often argue that they do not harm restaurants, bars, and taverns and may even raise their profits. Opponents argue that owners cater to customer preferences regarding smoking and that laws mandating specific smoking policies will therefore negatively impact profits of some firms. This article tests hypotheses regarding how smoking laws affect seating allocations, using data from a nationwide survey of restaurant and bar owners. The empirical evidence indicates that smoking laws exert no significant effect on seating allocations. Firms are shown to allocate greater shares of seating to nonsmoking use when customers exhibit stronger preferences for such seating.