CHARLESTON, W.Va (WCHS) — Following a 30-day public comment period, the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health voted down an amendment on Thursday that would have changed the county’s indoor air regulations and allowed Mardi Gras Casino and Resort to build a segregated indoor smoking area.
Board member Danita Nellhaus said that Mardi Gras’s argument for having the section was compelling but did not outweigh the negatives that would come from it.
“I have to say, no matter what they’ve said, I just understand the implications,” Nellhaus said. “I’m a healthcare professional. I think that totally outweighs anything that they would offer.”
The proposal was put forward by Mardi Gras in February stated that the addition of a separate smoking area inside of the casino would cut down on the number of customers going to other casinos that have existing indoor smoking areas. The proposal would have only allowed cigarette smoking, not pipes, vapes or cigars.
Board member Dr. Dara Aliff-Lao said that the board considered the potential economic boost before making its decision.
“We recognize that there can be an economic impact and we hope that the casino will rally around and find other ways to make up for that revenue,” Aliff-Lao said. “But I think decreasing the safety of the patrons and and the employees who would be exposed as well is our job as a board of health.”
Both women said that the public comments the board received overwhelmingly support for maintaining the Clean Air Act. They also said that if the public would have swayed the other way, their minds were already made up.
“I just felt like it was, as a healthcare provider, it would almost be irresponsible to vote in a way that would further potentially hurt the health of our citizens,” Aliff-Lao said.
Board members said that they took the positive impacts that the addition would have had into consideration, but ultimately voted no to the amendment due to the negative health impacts it would bring.
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