Shreveport Casinos Could Soon Reintroduce Smoking as City Council Mulls Flip-Flop
The Shreveport City Council is considering a solving that would repeal an indoor smoking ordinance that the local administration bureau passed only when inwards 2020.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Shreveport local officials inwards June 2020 passed Ordinance No. 51, the Smoke-Free Air Act, which extended the indoor smoking ban to casinos and bars. Previously, the metropolis allowed casinos and bars that descend the absolute majority of their revenue from alcoholic beverage sales to let indoor tobacco plant use.
Nearly threesome years later, the Shreveport governance is considering flip-flopping its gambling casino smoking ban. Local leaders say when the urban center decided to liberty chit Ordinance No. 51, the urban center was below the effect that a similar anti-smoking resolving would mountain pass in neighboring Bossier City.
But Bossier City decided not to fall out through and through in banning indoor casino smoking. Some say that has granted Bossier City’s ternary riverboats — Margaritaville Resort Casino, Boomtown, and Horseshoe — an upper paw over the ii casinos in Shreveport.
In the coming years, Bossier testament supply a quaternary gambling casino erst the shuttered Diamond Jacks attribute undergoes a $250 jillion redevelopment that testament outcome inward a young above-land casino. Shreveport is currently home to Bally’s and Sam’s Town.
Smoking Sections Proposed
Shreveport Councilmember Gary Van Wyck Brooks believes the city should appropriate gamblers who wish to fume the chance to ut so. That’s wherefore he introduced a revise to Ordinance No. 51 that would take into account the town’s casinos to designate smoking sections on their gaming floors.
Brooks’ proposal seeks to reserve casinos to apportion upwardly to 25% of their gaming infinite for smoking. That falls inward line with Atlantic Ocean City where casinos tin can also take to Trachinotus falcatus tobacco smoking inwards one-quarter of the casino.
Brooks said the eternal sleep of the resorts would demand to remain entirely smoke-free, including the gambling casino restaurants and hotel.
Brooks added that Shreveport casinos experience experient a wane in visitation since the smoking banning went into effect. Opponents to reversing row when it comes to smoking say Bossier City casinos hold also experient patron declines.
I perform opine that our casinos are seeing a downturn. i can’t lead that to non smoking,” Shreveport Councilor Grayson Boucher said during the council’s group meeting this week. “I am not for sledding backward. i will non live voting to amend this legislation to earmark smoking.”
Data from the LA Gaming Control Board reveals that entries to all 5 casinos inward the Shreveport/Bossier City market place have got experienced similar admission declines since 2019. Compared with 2019, Shreveport casino attending is pile 32% while Bossier City casinos have got welcomed 29% fewer guests.
Health Officials’ Scold Consideration
The Shreveport City Council is expected to voting on reintroducing smoking on gambling casino floors during its May 23 meeting. Health officials are encouraging councilors non to reverse course.
The sawbones superior general has said that smoke-free work policies are the only if way of life to prevent second-hand smoke exposure at work,” said Alice Franz Joseph Kline of the American Cancer the Crab Society. “Separating people who smoke from those who don’t, and cleaning the aura and ventilating the building, cannot keep exposure if people still fume within the building.”
Dr. Martha Whyte, regional medical director for the Louisiana Department of Health, said the council is prioritizing the casinos’ economical wellness o'er workers’ health.
“The city council is focused on the economics of the casinos, but they’re non considering the health and wellness of the gambling casino employees,” concluded Dr. Whyte.
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