With sincere apologies to Harry, whose posts I greatly respect, I do
believe that the appropriate site for this thread is vpFREE. My
reasoning for this is that, from both the perspective of the non-
smoker and the smoker, this topic directly impacts on whether their
casino/VP experience is satisfactory.
However, should the admin. deem otherwise, I will certainly refrain
from posting any further messages about "Non-Smoking sections in
Casinos". I would definitely take the course of abstention, rather
than post on fvpf, which I consider to be the "dark side" of vpFREE.
Anita, I consider your "obesity" analogy to be specious at best.
The unfortunate folks who suffer from a food addiction, do not harm
other players in their vicinity, with their plentiful avoirdupois.
I am assuming from your previous posts that you are an intelligent
person, and accept the basic premise promulgated by the latest
Surgeon General's report, that 2nd hand smoke is indeed harmful to
those near the smoker.
That being the case, I don't think that the rights of the casino
owners, conducting a private business, which caters to the public at
large, supercedes the rights of the non-smoker, to play in a non-
toxic enviornment. IMO, the rights of the casino and the smoker,
stop short of my eyes, nose and lungs.
Please don't waste your time repeating the argument that a non-
smoker is not "forced" to patronize a casino. Why should non-
smokers, clearly a majority in this country, be prevented from
participating in their favorite activity because a minority of
people, due to their tobacco addiction, persist in endangering
their health?
BTW, I do have understanding of, and even sympathy for, smokers. I
am also a former, heavily addicted, cigarette smoker. I quit 20
years ago after the occurence of a personal tragedy, directly
caused by smoking.
The shame and folly of all this, is that the solution to the problem
is within the grasp of any casino willing to expend the time and
dollars to correct it.
We know, from published figures, that approximately 25% of the
general population smoke tobacco products. Assuming, as others have
commented, that 50% of casino patrons smoke, all the casino needs to
do, to satisfy all their patrons, is to divide the casino into two
separate, but equal halves.
The "separate" N/S half, should be completely closed off from the
smoking half of the casinos. That means the usuage of walls and
doors, not just a token area in the midst of the smoking area.
The "equal" N/S half should contain all the same slots, vp and table
games, as does the smoking half. Not just a mini version with poor
payback, low pay tables and egregious 6/5 BJ.
I am reasonably sure that, giving this system a fair 6 month trial,
would demonstrate to the casino owners that, not only was this the
proper course of action, but that it was profitable as well.
If it did not work out as I predict, the casino could always go back
to the old way of doing business with minimal trouble.
Best regards to all, smokers and non-smokers alike. My fervent wish
is that we can co-exist, in a casino enviornment, w/o acriminous
exchanges.
~Babe~
···
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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, anita walker <ab4nita@...> wrote:
Oh yes, prohibition..........and don't forget the Surgeon General
reports on obesity as a public health problem too. It alleges that
obesity will soon cause as much preventable disease and death as
smoking. The numbers are already over 300,000 deaths yearly and
rising as obesity is reaching epidemic proportions in the US.
Guess it's time for forcing baked fish and salad minus the
dressings.
