The new Sands Casino is open in Bethlehem, Pa.

[Randy & Betty in Pa]

It's a marvalous place to be sure, so far 766 million dollars worth of marvalous... Its a tribute to the lost steel industry of the region... Yet you know what I found most intensely interesting..... Just a few short years back the State of Pennsylvania told all owners of private businesses that are frequented by the public that they could no longer allow people to smoke within their businesses which resulted in many small diners, restaurants and bars to lose enough customers to close them down... Then the state paid for a study which to this day I believe was simply purchased science stating that businesses would gain from this law. So what has that to do with a 766 million dollar casino? Well it seems an exemption was declared for them and a smoking section was established equaling 25% of their floor space... Now I see that as being pretty bad... Once again the laws are different if you have enough money... The Casino made a statement that those non smokers could make a choice wether they wished to enter the smoking area, yet in other businesses that choice has been made for the business owners and customers...Oh did I mention that the casino just whined and stated that they were making more money from the smoking sections of the casino then the smoke free sections? They were just granted an increase to where smoking is now permitted on 50% of the floor space.... I think from a simple standpoint the law should apply the same for the little beer bar owner that struggles to keep his doors open to the massive dollar casino's... Wouldn't it be nice if we all had to follow the same laws and shared the same rights.

Time and time again our politicians fail to learn a certain basic.... If everybody lived under the same laws and offered everybody the same civil rights this would be a far better nation.

Oh by the way, its a really nice casino...

Best

R

[hoops]

ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww smoking
peace
hoops

[DaveM]

Minnesota has adopted a similar law, which essentially makes it unlawful to smoke inside any establishment that is open to the public. I am not a big fan of cigarette smoke myself, but smoking is a lawful activity, and as long as no one blows it in my face, I'm just fine with it and regard it as none of my business. Similarly, I am troubled by any law which restricts a lawful activity on private property.

Nineteen Minnesota casinos, all of them on tribal land, are not required to comply with state law and so have relatively few restrictions on smoking (mind, as an aside, nearly all have serious restrictions on how much drinking they will permit on the premises). You know where the money from the smoking segment of the public is going.

As a peculiar attempt to complicate matters, the state legislature recently cooked up a bill to allow slot machines in bars, so that non-smoking drinkers would have a place to gamble. It did not pass.

As for me, I will be celebrating 24 years without cigarettes on September 21st. In keeping with what has become a tradition, I generally buy myself something more or less frivolous which equals the cost of a carton of my former brand (it's getting up there!). That'll be almost enough to finance a gambling jaunt this year....but I do know that won't be how I will spend it.

[coffeegyrl]

I think that each business owner should be able to make their own decision in regards to nonsmoking or to to allow smoking. I don't like government making that decision for us. If you have a small business and you choose to allow your customers to smoke, then good for you. If your business decides to be smoke free, then good for you. Keep ordinances and laws out of it.