Smoking ban amended

Publication Date: 2006-02-23

• Author:April M. Washington
• Publication:Rocky Mountain News (Denver, CO)

Plea from workers moves Senate panel to include casinos

Casino workers strongly urged lawmakers Wednesday to ban smoking in their workplaces, and a Senate committee saw it their way.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 4-3 to include casinos, amending a bill that would outlaw smoking in most Colorado workplaces .

Earlier this month, the House passed a version of the ban that exempted casinos, tobacco stores, up to one-fourth of a hotel's rooms and a few other places.

But gaming industry workers Wednesday told the Judiciary Committee that many of them suffer from exposure to secondhand smoke. Some said they're dying from it.

Florence Bush said she was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago. She never smoked, but she worked at a casino.