Thanks to Mayor Mitch Landrieu and the New Orleans City Council for the smoking ban in Casinos and Bars in the City that has recently taken effect. The state of Louisiana should follow the City's lead and do the same thing. The state Senate actually voted to ban smoking in Casinos in 2009 only to be rejected by the legislature. This writer in June 2009 wrote a commentary concerning the Senate vote.
We now find that according to a Times Picayune article of 4/28, Jan Moller, head of Louisiana Budget Project reported smoking related health care service cost the state $700 million annualy. And lung doctor Stephen Kantrow with LSU in New Orleans reported, cigarette related diseases cost the state $800 million.
That is a high price to pay for smoking related health problems and should be a no brainer for the state legislature to pass a state wide smoking ban in casinos and other places where people are in a closed environment and so close to each other while smoking is taken place.
If Moller and Kantrow's numbers are even close to being correct just think of the total cost for all 50 states. Smoking should be banned statewide in all public places to reduce the health hazards of second hand smoke and the tremendous health care cost that follows. Prevention is still the best way of doing that.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
