Casino Smoking Ban Debate Pushed To Next Week by Iowa House

A Bill has been proposed that would amend the current smoking laws in Iowa. Casinos and Veterans organization private events are considered the main beneficiaries to the amendment.

In Iowa, they are taking a similar approach to public smoking as many other states, banning the harmful activity inside public areas. There is a fifty foot area outside of public establishments where smoking would be banned.

An amendment to the current Bill on the table, however, would ease that restriction to only ten feet outside the establishments. There is strong support to stop smoking at public places in Iowa.

"It's not something that's being done against the will of the majority of the public," said Kevin McCarthy, the House Majority Leader. He claims that there is evidence that four out of five people in Iowa have shown support of the ban.

The key for the gambling industry comes in the amendment to the Bill. Casinos and Veterans organization functions would be exempt to the new smoking laws. Those establishments would not be required to go smoke free.

The ban is catching the usual opposition from restaurant owners who are worried about the decrease in business that the ban would bring. They hide that fear behind the idea that business owners should have the right to chose whether or not they allow smoking in their establishments.

February 15, 2008
Posted By Tom Jones
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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