Everyone in St. Louis County deserves the right to breathe smoke-free air. Prop F, a measure on the November 6 ballot, looks to roll back the progress that has been made to make the county a healthier place for every resident, visitor and worker.
Prop F reads:
Shall the St. Louis County Charter be amended by providing for the authority of casinos licensed by the Missouri Gaming Commission to allow smoking on no more than fifty percent of the floor area on which gambling games are permitted?
It goes without saying this proposition would exempt casinos from providing a healthier environment for their workers and customers. Casinos want to avoid laws other St. Louis County businesses have followed and thrived under.
Prop F would return us to the days of smoking and non-smoking sections, which we all know were really just smoke and more smoke sections. No one could escape the odor, and more importantly, the health hazards caused by secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke contains more than 70 cancer-causing chemicals and hundreds of other toxins. There’s no such thing as a safe level of secondhand smoke. And let’s not forget about St. Louis County workers. Whether a customer chooses to sit in smoking or non-smoking, employees have no choice. They must inhale smoke from every patron, for their entire shift.
When it comes to protecting our health, people shouldn’t be exceptions. Prop F fails to protect all workers and patrons from secondhand smoke and instead uses a tobacco industry gimmick to create separate smoking sections, creating the illusion of choice. This is unenforceable and will create winners and losers in business and health.
Many other industries have disallowed smoking in their facilities and adjoining areas. Smoking used to be the norm in places we couldn’t dream of now. Who could take breathing in smoke on an airplane, at a sporting event or in most workplaces? Think of the hotels in St. Louis County that are so much cleaner and nicer because they don’t allow smoking in rooms, lobbies and meeting spaces.
County workers are the backbone of our economy. They are also our moms, dads, brothers, sisters and friends. We should not sacrifice their health for the potential of greater revenue. I say potential because Missouri casinos are doing quite well – earning $1.75 billion in 2017, a $68 million increase from 2013.
Casino business is booming and there’s no indication that polluting the air with more secondhand smoke would increase revenue. The American economy is doing well overall and Missouri and St. Louis are following suit.
Allowing more secondhand smoke will not increase employment opportunities for county workers nor more secure financial situations for their families. Secondhand smoke lessens customer enjoyment and puts the public’s health at risk. It’s a classic lose-lose scenario.
Prop F’s exemptions for casinos would also create winners and losers when it comes to our health. We urge St. Louis County residents not to settle for a partial, weak law that won’t protect everyone.
No matter where you work, you should be protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Casino workers, along with the rest of us, have the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air. Prop F will not protect that right.
Workers and patrons should not be put at unnecessary risk. Every St. Louis County resident has the right to breathe clean air. Vote no on Prop F on November 6.
Regina Sullivan
American Heart Association Volunteer
Committee for a Healthy Community Treasurer
