Recently visited Las Vegas. The first thing that struck me as soon as I stepped in any place was the cigarette smell. By far this is the first time I saw an instance of indoor cigarette smoking in the US. (Not that I laud smoking cigarettes in the open and spoiling the air for everyone else, indoor smoking when the whole space is air conditioned makes the problem gross). I googled why is smoking allowed in the casinos, and the results were appalling to say the least. If India has corruption, in US its called Lobbying, a glorified version of the same vile evil. So basically casino owners lobbied to allow smoking indoors in the casinos so that they don't lose out income from smokers.
This is wrong on many levels and sets a very wrong precedent, but a few other thoughts:
1. Is access to clean air a fundamental right?
2. US cares so much about occupational safety. What about the health of people who work in casinos and are exposed to second hand smoke for long periods of time.
3. US is a capitalist nation and if there is enough demand for something, then there will be supply to keep up. Is the number of people casually going to casinos who will appreciate clean air so small that none of the major casinos have opened a non-smoking suite?
2 possibilities arise: First: most compulsive gamblers are also addicted to smoking. In that case should I be glad that these people stay holed up in casinos and dont go about polluting air everywhere else? Second possibility is that gambling is so addictive that non-smokers dont care whether or not there's smoke in the room. Apparently in the US, a bartender is required by law to deny service if someone is too drunk. If the too drunk person drives and causes an accident, apparently the bartender is eqally complicit. Apparently the law does not apply to casinos for aiding addiction.
4. Sure, casinos contribute a lot to the state/ federal income. But indirectly I + other taxpayers are paying to heal the smokers through the hefty insurance scam. If the people working in casinos think that the money they will earn is worth increaing their risk of cancers, the casino owners dont care for their employees well being, why should I be the one contributing towards their healthcare. If the lobbyists can bent the government to their whims, why cant the government force them to pay for a separate health insurance for their employees.
Next time someone complains about Indian corruption, I hope i can remember this example of double standards.
This is wrong on many levels and sets a very wrong precedent, but a few other thoughts:
1. Is access to clean air a fundamental right?
2. US cares so much about occupational safety. What about the health of people who work in casinos and are exposed to second hand smoke for long periods of time.
3. US is a capitalist nation and if there is enough demand for something, then there will be supply to keep up. Is the number of people casually going to casinos who will appreciate clean air so small that none of the major casinos have opened a non-smoking suite?
2 possibilities arise: First: most compulsive gamblers are also addicted to smoking. In that case should I be glad that these people stay holed up in casinos and dont go about polluting air everywhere else? Second possibility is that gambling is so addictive that non-smokers dont care whether or not there's smoke in the room. Apparently in the US, a bartender is required by law to deny service if someone is too drunk. If the too drunk person drives and causes an accident, apparently the bartender is eqally complicit. Apparently the law does not apply to casinos for aiding addiction.
4. Sure, casinos contribute a lot to the state/ federal income. But indirectly I + other taxpayers are paying to heal the smokers through the hefty insurance scam. If the people working in casinos think that the money they will earn is worth increaing their risk of cancers, the casino owners dont care for their employees well being, why should I be the one contributing towards their healthcare. If the lobbyists can bent the government to their whims, why cant the government force them to pay for a separate health insurance for their employees.
Next time someone complains about Indian corruption, I hope i can remember this example of double standards.
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