While Bar Workers and Patrons Breathe Easier, Casino Workers Remain at Risk from Dangerous Loophole
Des Moines, IA — A bill that would have brought smoking back into bars that qualify for an exemption from Iowa’s smokefree law effectively died in the Iowa House of Representatives last week. SF 2444, which would have introduced more venues with indoor smoking in a state that already allows smoking loopholes for casino gaming floors and other public spaces, failed to advance past the second legislative funnel in the House Commerce Committee.
“The death of this bill is a win for every Iowan who believes that no one should have to choose between their paycheck and their health,” said Traci Kennedy, Midwest States Strategist for Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. “Iowans are currently facing a dire cancer crisis, and we know that more indoor smoking is never the solution. While we celebrate the House’s decision to not advance this regressive policy, Iowa must now use this momentum to close the remaining loopholes in our smokefree laws. Allowing smoking in casinos while the rest of the state enjoys clean air is a double standard that costs lives. We urge the legislature to follow the lead of the House and prioritize the health of Iowa’s families over the interests of the tobacco and gaming lobbies.”
The bill’s defeat preserves the 2008 Smokefree Air Act’s protections for bar workers and patrons, preventing a dangerous rollback of nearly two decades of progress. However, the work is not finished while other Iowans—specifically casino workers—remain unprotected. Iowa currently holds one of the lowest adult smoking rates in the U.S., a testament to the success of the state’s Smokefree Air Act. However, without legislative action to eliminate indoor smoking in all workplaces, including in casinos, Iowa risks seeing its smoking rates climb back toward or above the national average, leading to a predictable and preventable increase in death and disease.
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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR), sister organization to ANRF, is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for over 50 years to protect everyone’s right to breathe nontoxic air in workplaces and public places, from offices and airplanes to restaurants, bars, and casinos. ANR has continuously shined a light on the tobacco industry’s interference with sound and life-saving public health measures and successfully protected 61% of the population with local or statewide smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws. ANR aims to close gaps in smokefree protections for workers in all workplaces, including bars, music venues, casinos, and hotels. For more information, please visit nonsmokersrights.org and https://smokefreecasinos.org.
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