AUGUSTA (AP) – Six months into a ban on smoking at Maine bars, the president of the Maine Restaurant Association says business at some establishments is down by 30 percent, especially at bars near the New Hampshire border.

“Business is off big time,” Dick Grotton said. “The law continues to be a source of extreme irritation.”

Jibryne “Gubby” Karter, owner of Waterville’s Bob-In, said he paid nearly $10,000 for a heated outdoor patio after a very slow January.

“Without the smoke deck, I’m sure business would be off 20 percent,” he said.

But supporters of the smoking ban, which outlawed all smoking in Maine bars and restaurants, say it is beneficial for bar and restaurant employees, and that many Mainers are now enjoying nightlife they once shunned.

“We’ve had many, many more positive remarks about the law than negative,” said Dora Mills, director of the Maine Bureau of Health. “People are enjoying going to places that are now smoke-free.”

Moriah Giguere, manager of Spirits in Waterville, said nearly every bar has lost customers since the ban. But she said the law has been good for bartenders, herself included. She feels healthier now and no longer has a sore throat at night’s end.

Dr. Susan Swartz, medical director at the state’s Center for Tobacco Independence, said that taverns will save on cleaning costs and have healthier and more productive employees. She also said that bar owners should be able to tap into a new group of customers.

“Overall, the law is the best thing for the people of Maine,” she said. “Overall, the state will not lose revenue and these businesses will survive.”

But some bar owners fear their businesses may not recover.

“I don’t believe the health community ever grasped the financial impact of this,” Grotton said. “The law brought forth great pain.”

AP-ES-06-03-04 0217EDT