County smoking limits suffer

Friday, April 18, 2003 | 9:02 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- By a 19-1 vote, the Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would allow the state to continue to regulate smoking in public places, despite efforts to give counties a chance to impose stricter restrictions.

Lobbyists for the Clark County Health District vowed to fight Senate Bill 50 when it reaches the Assembly. The bill would allow school districts to impose more stringent restrictions on campuses than the state allows, and it advances from 2010 to 2007 the time when large grocery stores must have an area set aside that "substantially removes smoke from the area."

Helen Foley, lobbyist for the Health District, said there would be "lively discussion" when the bill reaches the Assembly Judiciary Committee and that a number of amendments will be proposed.

The goal, she said, is to ban smoking in restaurants except in bar areas, grocery stores, arcades, child care centers and public buildings.

She said the current law allows smoking in child care centers if it is in a special room.

"We have the highest disease rate in the nation from smoking and second-hand smoke," Foley said. "It's shameful."

The lone dissenting vote in the Senate came from Sen. Maggie Carlton, D-North Las Vegas.

Voters in Clark and Washoe counties last November approved advisory questions that local governments should have more authority to impose restrictions on smoking. They also voted in favor of banning second-hand smoke in such places as schools, grocery stores, restaurants and government buildings.

Assembly Bill 96, which would have allowed counties to impose stricter regulations, died in the Judiciary Committee in that house. It would have prohibited smoking within 100 feet of a public building. It would also have banned smoking in restaurants, malls, movie theaters and video arcades.

Nevada law prohibits smoking in places such as public elevators, public buildings, public waiting rooms of medical facilities, child care facilities and school buses. The person in charge of public buildings may designate a room where smoking is allowed.

A restaurant with a capacity of more than 50 customers must maintain smoking and non-smoking areas. Smoking is allowed in casinos, which have the option of designating certain areas as off-limits to tobacco.