Consumer Freedom

San Francisco's Outdoor Smoking Ban Won't Improve Public Health, but It Will Hurt the City's Bars and Taverns

Bar owners warn that the proposed smoking ban could force closures, threaten jobs, and damage San Francisco’s nightlife.

Reem Ibrahim | 5.12.2026 4:55 PM

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(Illustration: Midjourney)

A proposed law to ban outdoor smoking in San Francisco is pitting the city's government against its bars and breweries.

While indoor and outdoor smoking at restaurants in the city has been banned for years, patrons of certain bars and taverns have been allowed to enjoy smoking outdoors in peace. The new ordinance would "eliminate exceptions" like these and "prohibit smoking in outdoor patios of bars and taverns."

The measure will go before a city committee on May 18, and if it passes, the Board of Supervisors will vote on it in June. If it's approved, the smoking ban would take effect in early 2027.

John Maa, a general surgeon who worked on the proposal, told local Fox affiliate KTVU that the ban aims to "protect the patrons of these establishments and also importantly, the employees and anyone who might be exposed to secondhand smoke." He added that the city's laws should put public health over profits.

However, the move has caused outrage........

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