Columnist Jeff German: Blowing smoke in our faces

Tuesday, April 8, 2003 | 11:01 a.m.

The Legislature once more is proving that Nevada remains in the Dark Ages when it comes to protecting us from second-hand smoke.

State lawmakers, while kowtowing to the rich tobacco and casino industry lobbies, are not only showing insensitivity to our health, but they are ignoring the wishes of the voters, who last year approved two ballot questions calling upon the lawmakers to toughen anti-smoking regulations.

It is no secret that Nevada has some of the weakest anti-smoking laws in the nation and ranks among the worst in smoking-related illnesses.

Yet the Senate Judiciary Committee late last week seemed oblivious to that distinction, as it steered the Legislature on its biennial course of smoke-free indifference.

The panel, chaired by Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, voted to issue a ban on smoking in public schools to protect our children.

But it killed a provision in Senate Bill 50 to give local governments, such as the Clark County Health District, the ability to impose stricter smoking regulations than those put in place by the state. The panel also shot down an amendment to ban smoking in grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores and public buildings.

"It's shameful," said Helen Foley, who lobbies for the Health District. "The will of the people has certainly not been addressed on this issue."

Two-thirds of the voters in Clark and Washoe counties last year approved an advisory ballot question aimed at eliminating second-hand smoke in public venues, such as schools, restaurants and convenience stores. And 57 percent of the voters in those counties said local officials should have more control over anti-smoking policies.

In 2001 a Gallup poll commissioned by the Health District found overwhelming public support for tougher regulations against smoking.

There are two reasons why lawmakers have not listened to the voters: No. 1 is the tobacco industry and No. 2 is the casino industry. For their own selfish reasons, both have long opposed smoking bans in the state and both have had the political clout to impose their will over lawmakers.

No anti-smoking bill gets through the Legislature without being shaped by gaming and tobacco -- specifically by influential lobbyist Harvey Whittemore, who represents both industries.

The gaming industry worries that such smoking bans ultimately will lead to smoke-free environments in casinos and cause it to lose valuable high-rollers who smoke. So the industry would rather put the health of its employees and non-smoking customers at risk than lose a few bucks.

Big tobacco would rather see the rest of us suffer harmful effects from second-hand smoke in our daily routines than see a dip in its profits on Wall Street.

It's easy to understand why gaming and tobacco are more concerned about their bottom lines than our health.

But there's no excuse for our lawmakers to share that mentality.

Is it too much to ask them to change course and start paying attention to the will of the people?