Las Vegas Sun

November 10, 2009

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Letter: Casinos should go smoke-free

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 | 9:08 a.m.

Seventy percent of us gambling Nevadans are smoke-free and cannot stand tobacco smoke and must leave any casino soon after entry.

My position is that after an initial shock of going smoke-free, Nevada casinos would enjoy a boom of increased activity as the smoke-free population becomes acquainted with the benefits of not being abused by secondhand smoke -- and to notice that employees (who are now under extreme stress) will begin to relax, knowing that no smoker can make them sick, make them ill and that they can go home and not reek of tobacco odors.

I'm one of those who believes that the five-month drop in gross gaming revenues is not related to 9-11 or the growing collapse of our economy. Rather, I believe that our drop in revenues has occurred because candidate visitors can find equivalent excitement and theater in smoke-free venues in California, Delaware, and soon to be smoke-free New York City and Boston.

ARNO SEEGERS

Editor's note: The writer is acting president of STICCC, the Stop Tobacco in Clark County Coalition.

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