Yes, the irony of having this right after (well, now before) Hitchens, and so on. Jordan Lite writes in the Daiy News:

Bartenders breathe easier when patrons aren’t allowed to light up, says a Scottish study that found a dramatic improvement in employees’ lung health within months of a smoking ban.
…
New York’s bartenders can vouch for the change.
“I feel better, much better,” said John Zhang, who’s manned the Algonquin Hotel’s bars for 15 years. “Right away, I could feel it.”

This still doesn’t explain the awesome longevity of Algonquin colleague Hoy Wong, but it can’t have hurt, either.