Iowa House Advances A Bill To Ban Smoking In Casinos

Lawmakers in Iowa are considering whether or not smoking should be allowed inside of casinos, as a bill moving through the House would eliminate the exemption that casinos have had that lets them bypass the state's smoking laws.

Currently, there is an exemption in the Iowa Smokefree Air Act that allows for smoking in casinos, but House File 781 would remove it.

Iowa banned smoking in the majority of public places back in 2008, which pulled smoking from inside restaurants, bars, and workplaces.

Speaking with KWQC, Vianca Herrera - a community tobacco consultant from the Scott County Health Department - said, “There’s no safe level of exposure. So even being in a game floor that, for 60 minutes, or especially for workers who are there for potentially up to eight, ten hours a day, its a lot of long-term exposure that over time can cause a lot of these chronic issues, like I mention, heart disease, stroke, cancer.”

Those who are in favor of the bill say it would prevent secondhand smoke exposure for employees and patrons who spend a lot of time in the casinos.

One of the arguments in favor of the bill is that Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancer diagnosis in the nation, and is one of the only states where rates continue to rise.

According to the Scott County Health Department, lung cancer is in the top three diagnosed cancers in the area.

The operators of casinos argued that ventilation sytems, air filtration and designated non-smoking areas remove a lotof the health risks. The health officials say that a worker standing next to somebody smoking doesn't benefit from the systems.

If the bill passes, Iowa would be joining a list of 20 states that prohibit smoking in casinos. Currently, all of Iowa's neighboring states but Missouri are banning smoking on the casino floor.

Currently, it's just a proposal, and would need approval from the House and Senate before being sent on to the governor.

Read more at KWQC