By: Eric Hertha, Hospitality Business News
The Wisconsin Legislature, in the 2009-10 Legislative Session, enacted 2009 Wisconsin Act 12, which prohibits smoking in Restaurants and Hotels. The law became effective on July 11, 2010.
In a September 2, 2010 article that appeared in USA Today, (by Barbara De Lollis) entitled Wisconsin law bans smoking in all hotel guestrooms, the writer quotes Trisha Pugal, CEO of Wisconsin Hotel and Lodging Association on various aspects of the new law and its enforcement in hotels.
Ms Pugal stated in the interview that their biggest challenge with the smoking ban is convincing guests that it truly is the law - and that there are real consequences if they smoke in their room. "People tend not to believe," she says.
According to Act 12 the law requires that persons in charge of places where smoking is prohibited enforce the prohibitions by taking certain steps to ensure compliance, such as not providing ashtrays and matches; posting “no smoking” signs; asking a person to stop smoking; asking a person who is smoking to leave; refusing to serve the person if the place is a restaurant, tavern, or private club; and notifying law enforcement if the person does not leave after being requested to do so. Local police and sheriff’s departments have the power and duty to enforce the smoking ban and the Act goes on to establish a forfeiture for violation of the smoking prohibition of not less than $100 nor more than $250 for each violation.
According to the USA Today article, Wisconsin's roughly 2,000 hotels post signs declaring their building a non-smoking facility. They're also requiring guests to initial a statement promising to comply or face paying a fee. Hotels are charging penalty fees anywhere from $100 to $300. "Unfortunately, there are people choosing to smoke anyway, even with all the signage and initialing things saying they know there will be a penalty," Pugal said.
Hospitality Business News asked Pugel about the law and the authority that hotels have to fine guests. Her response was “the lodging property, with proper notification, has the right to charge an additional fee for special cleaning or damages, such as is necessary when a guest smokes in a non-smoking room. This should not be confused with a citation that law enforcement may impose to uphold the law.”
Smoking in “non-smoking” rooms has always been an issue. But it appear that in this case the Wisconsin Hotel Association, and other Associations around the Country, are taking advantage new laws in order to charge a fee. Many guests will assume that the charge is a “legal fine” as opposed to an arbitrary charge by the hotel. The Hotel Association in Wisconsin should indicate on their signage that the fee is not being imposed by the government and in fact has nothing to do with any smoking legislation.
Monday, September 20, 2010
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Under the system, the PwC clients deliver the agreed down-payments into accounts administered by the firm. The venues can see the money is there, but have no access to it.
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