Smoking in Casino Precious to Both Navajos and Libertarians

While the Navajo Council prepared to hear expert testimony from the American Cancer Society, the New Mexican Cancer Society, and the Navajo Division of Health, another voice spoke loudly in favor of retaining some smoking privileges.

Smoking issues have been under consideration by casinos for some time, and the new Navajo project still has its smoking status up in the air. The Navajo Nation is discussing the merits and flaws of various smoking arrangements as it prepares to open its first casino.

While the Navajo Council prepared to hear expert testimony from the American Cancer Society, the New Mexican Cancer Society, and the Navajo Division of Health, another voice spoke loudly in favor of retaining some smoking privileges.

Ray Etcitty, general counsel for the Navajo Gaming Enterprise, used figures from other casinos that went smoke-free to demonstrate the significant drop in business incurred by imposing smoking bans. Further, Etcitty noted that all the competition faced by the Navajo venue would be smoking, exacerbating the effects on attendance.

Etcitty stated that a 20% decline in projected revenue could be expected, with an even greater effect on employment forecasts. Further, the loss of revenue would have detrimental effects on paying back the loan the tribe gave itself, and funding for future casinos.

Etcitty said the casino would have designated smoking areas, rather than be all smoking; and that the state-of-the-art air system would clean the air faster than smoke could dirty it.

John Applebottom of Gallup, New Mexico, said, "They say the air conditioners will work so well you won't know if the person next to you is smoking, and still people push to bar it. It looks to me like just another case of people who like telling others what to do. Let everybody choose their own path, I say. You'd think the gambling business would understand that."