Anti-Smoking Bill not Passed in Louisiana

In Louisiana, the attempts to expand anti-smoking laws have failed. On Tuesday afternoon, house members voted with the result being 71-29 against Rep. Gary Smith's bill to add bars, casinos and off-track betting parlors to the state's ban on smoking in restaurants, public places, public buildings and most places of employment.

Those who opposed the law felt that customers would have been driven away form Louisiana casinos and into Mississippi. Shreveport Rep. Barbra Norton said, "We… cannot afford to have this bill to pass. Can we afford to lose those extra tax revenues?"

Several lawmakers including Norton agreed on the fact that the bill would lead to less money being collected from casinos because those gamblers who smoke would find somewhere else to go.

The reasons behind not having this bill passed are as bad as any, smokers should have a place to go to smoke, but gambling is just as bad an addiction as smoking. A smoker has enough problems, they should not be encouraged to depend on both worlds.

[Via: wwl.com]

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