Casinos shouldn't be exempt from ban

The Windsor Star
Tue 23 Nov 2004

What will happen if Mayor Eddie Francis is successful in obtaining a smoking exemption for Windsor and other border casinos under the province's upcoming smoke-free legislation? Smoking Ban Likely to Include Casinos: No Loopholes in Bill -- Smitherman, Nov. 17.

First and foremost, workers' health will still be in danger. WSIB claims for worker health damage from second-hand smoke exposure -- a number are proceeding on behalf of casino workers in Windsor -- will increase. Workers' health -- and that of patrons -- will continue to suffer. Apparently, this is not a concern to the mayor.

Second, a casino smoking exemption in effect gives such an exemption to the bars and restaurants located inside casinos. Local bar and restaurant owners outside the casinos will naturally object -- as they did in Brantford when that casino was given an exemption.

There is no way to justify continuing to expose some casino bar and restaurant workers to a source of lung cancer and heart disease while protecting non-casino workers. Similarly, there is no way to justify letting people smoke in casino bars and restaurants, or use an adjacent smoking room, while not doing the same for their competition elsewhere in the community. Under the mayor's scenario, the bar and restaurant industry provincewide will be understandably up in arms, and the health objectives of the legislation will be completely undermined.

Mayor Francis is primarily concerned with border casinos. But on top of the problems with such an exemption outlined above, how could an exemption be given to just border casinos but not others? This would spread worker health and competition problems even further.

Michael Perley
Director
Ontario Campaign for Action on Tobacco