Editorial: On smoking and slots

Monday, Oct. 11, 2004 | 9:01 a.m.

At the Global Gaming Expo last week in Las Vegas, smoking in casinos was a hot topic. Anti-smoking activists are targeting casinos, and gaming industry leaders are worried about a loss of revenue and jobs if people can't light up their cigarettes while plunking down their money.

Five states now prohibit smoking in restaurants and bars and more are following suit. Government buildings and most private office complexes are smoke-free. With secondhand smoke now definitively linked to various diseases, the trend will only grow.

Just as Nevada finally tightened its drunken driving law to allow no more than a 0.08 blood alcohol content, someday it will ban smoking in casinos. It may be in a year or 10 years, but the move toward smoke-free establishments is too strong to be denied forever. The casino industry should begin preparing now for the inevitable. Maybe it won't be so bad. Just think what will be saved in health care costs for employees, in matches and ashtrays, carpet burns and parking-lot cleanups. And just think how many nonsmokers will play longer. Sounds to us like casinos should lead the charge in mandating smoke-free environments.

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