Letter: Officials look out for gaming, not public

Friday, June 16, 2006 | 7:23 a.m.

The current debate over proposed regulation or legislation, which would ban smoking in businesses open to the public in Las Vegas, an issue raised and resolved in many other more populated metropolitan areas, in reality demonstrates the failure of our elected officials and our Supreme Court to perform the duty for which they were elected - that of promulgating regulations and statutes that benefit the public, through their duty in promoting a public policy conducive to the health and welfare of the public.

As a physician, I feel very strongly that smoking is harmful to the health of a society. This is not conjecture; this is fact. And yet, that which benefits the few comes at the detriment of the many. The gaming, hotel and restaurant industry would suffer financially if smoking was banned in areas where the public congregates.

Given the obvious public nuisance created by smoking, one must ask therefore why our elected officials have not come to this same public policy conclusion. The answer is simple.

Las Vegas is a company town, and that company is the gaming industry. If there is to be regulation or legislation promulgated as to any public policy, it will only result at the behest of the gaming industry. And, folks, when it comes to smoking in public, that just ain't going to happen.

Jack Kane, Las Vegas