Tobacco prevention survey finds majority want smoke-free casinos in Iowa

Iowans overwhelmingly favor the state's smoke-free workplace law and nearly two out of three would like to see the anti-tobacco measure expanded to include gaming floors at state-licensed casinos, according to survey results released Wednesday by the Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance.

Alliance spokeswoman Cathy Calloway said 79 percent of the 500 registered Iowa voters who were surveyed Feb. 7-9 indicated they believed the Smokefree Air Act made Iowa a better place to live. Another 73 percent of surveyed Iowans said they do not want the law repealed and 63 percent supported expanding it to cover non-tribal casinos, she said.

“Support for the act is as clear as the air we breathe right now,” Calloway told a Statehouse news conference where her group released results of the survey conducted by Selzer & Co. and pushed for legislative action soon to expand the coverage so workers at state-regulated riverboats and racetrack casinos don't have to breathe second-hand smoke at their workplaces.

Excluding casino gaming floors from the workplace smoking ban “in effect designated Iowans who work at these businesses to second-class status. We are very encouraged that Iowa voters recognize this injustice and support closing that loophole,” Calloway said. “Casino workers are at a greater risk of lung and heart disease because of second-hand smoke exposure. No one should have to choose between their health and a good job.”

Anti-smoking proponents said concerns expressed that Iowa businesses would close when the law was implemented in 2008 did not materialize and they refuted claims by the casino industry that extending the smoke-free law to their operations would make them uncompetitive in border communities and hurt them financially.

“That just hasn't been the case and it wouldn't be the case if Iowa joined our neighbors in Illinois and South Dakota and made the casinos entirely smoke free as well,” she said.

At the same time, Calloway conceded “it's a tough battle” to expand the smoke-free air law further this session with a March 4 deadline approaching for policy bills to win passage in a House or Senate committee to remain eligible for consideration, given that the casinos and the tobacco industries “have a loud lobby voice.”

In the Quad-Cities, the smoke-free Jumer's Casino & Hotel in Rock Island showed higher casino revenues for January than any of its nearby Iowa counterparts, Rhythm City in Davenport, Isle of Capri in Davenport or Wild Rose Casino in Clinton.

Sen. Randy Feenstra, R-Hull, who introduced Senate File 283 this week, said the issue is getting bipartisan support and he was optimistic “it's got a shot” this session.

“The prospects are pretty good,” said Feenstra, who argued that casinos currently have a large, unfair advantage over nearby restaurants or bars that function under the smoke-free edit. “We need a level-playing field,” he added.

Rep. Peter Cownie, R-West Des Moines, chairman of the House State Government Committee, said the issue has not come before his committee and time is running out given the growing list of legislation awaiting action with only three more scheduled meetings before next week's “funnel” deadline. He said the studies he has seen on the smoking issues indicated that the casinos would lose money if their enterprise were to be subject to the smoking ban.