"In the coyote’s bag of tricks are addictions to gambling, alcohol and smoking. The casinos stand almost alone in modern America, where many communities no longer allow smoking in public places.

Some casinos now have smoke-free areas, but smoke knows no boundaries. These smoke-free areas may help, but they don’t eliminate toxins such as carbon monoxide or formaldehyde. In fact, there are more than 200 poisonous chemical compounds in cigarettes, and they can cause heart disease, stroke, emphysema, asthma, liver cancer and plenty of lesser ills, too.

My sinuses will vouch for that.

I’m thinking about this issue for two reasons: First, three new casinos have opened or will open soon around the country, and the expansion of a fourth is in the news. Second, a friend recently had a major stroke and now is struggling for life. She is a smoker.

Unfortunately, if you don’t smoke but do gamble, you’re at risk from secondhand smoke. There are no smoke-free casinos that I know of in Indian country. Again, some have smoke-free areas; but as I said, smoke can’t be fenced in."

Get the Story:
COLUMNIST DORREEN YELLOW BIRD: A plea for smoke-free, alcohol-free casinos (The Grand Forks Herald 11/8)

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