Friday, April 25, 2008; Posted: 10:14 PM
Exactly this is happening now. Legislators must quit arguing and reach a reasonable compromise.
Some senators fear that a blanket smoking ban would hurt business at Pennsylvania casinos. But that area of concern is changing. On Wednesday night, the city council in Atlantic City voted unanimously to ban smoking from casino floors. The council members took that action after casino employees, citing threats to their own health, persuaded them that it was the right thing to do. The ban will take effect in October.
Once that happens, Pennsylvania legislators and casino owners will no longer be able cite economic damage from smoking customers being drawn to New Jersey casinos as a reason not to have stronger regulations here.
In fact, Atlantic City's action helps Pennsylvania to draft a better indoor clean-air law. The more broadly such a law is applied, the more acceptable it is. A law that applies to everyone and everywhere does not create winners and losers on opposite sides of a municipal boundary. Imagined economic woes should not be valued over the proven effects of second-hand smoke on restaurant works, dealers, bartenders and other patrons. At the very least, businesses must section-off smoking areas so those who choose not to smoke aren't forced to do so.
A complete smoking ban in nearly all public places would be ideal, but a partial ban is certainly better than nothing. Legislators who favor a stringent ban and those who believe certain places should be exempt must compromise. Instead of continuing to debate about whether all or no part of casinos should be smoke free, for example, legislators should require casino owners to allow smoking on 25 percent of the floor.
Pennsylvania needs to ban smoking in at least a portion of most public places. Paying customers have the right to patronize the businesses of their choice and are entitled to clean air while eating or gambling. Lawmakers worried about losing gamblers -- and revenue -- to Atlantic City if they banned smoking in casinos no longer have that worry ... or excuse not to legislate. To break the deadlock, allowing these casinos to create areas for smoking is an option. Regardless, this issue can't wait anymore. State legislators must take action to protect the health of non-smokers, as other states have.
To see more of The Morning Call, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mcall.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
More News:
Market Updates |
Stock Alerts |
All Trading News |
Stock Index
    |
   |
