Just like bars and restaurants in the state, smoking would be prohibited inside Iowa casinos under legislation that took a step forward Tuesday.
House Study Bill 148 would repeal casinos’ exemption from Iowa’s smoke-free air law.
Passed in 2008 to protect Iowans from secondhand smoke, the law prohibits smoking in most public places, including restaurants, bars and workplaces. It also prohibits smoking in some outdoor areas. Exemptions, however, were made for gambling floors in state-licensed casinos as well as outdoor patios or decks at bars where food is not prepared on the premises.
Supporters of the legislation, including health organizations, said smoking rates, health care costs and hospitalizations for smoking related health conditions have significantly fallen since the law took effect, making for a healthier workforce and state.
