In The News: Bingo A Smoke-Free Casualty

[DCP NewsFeed]

Deb Blake decided to try a night of bingo without cigarettes at the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps headquarters Tuesday.A half-hour in, she wasn't enjoying herself. I came to see how I like it, and I don't, Blake said. I'd rather be home with my grandchildren than here...

... Read the rest of the article here - http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/index.php?o...0&Itemid=28

[Dan H.]

"I came to see how I like it, and I don't," Blake said. "I'd rather be home with my grandchildren than here without a cigarette."

But she would rather play bingo and smoke than be with her grandchildren?

[DCIHasBeen]

But she would rather play bingo and smoke than be with her grandchildren?

Apparently she'd rather be home passing second-hand smoke on to her grandchildren ...

#### it. I don't care if Bingo suffers ... In the long run banning smokers from public venues is a good thing.

[gottalovit]

I think as long as it is across the board across the state, then it really won't hurt any business that much. It may take a couple of months for the smokers to realize it, but once they do, they'll just learn how to budget their time without a cigarette. I am a non-smoker, but have lived with smokers.

The only problem is there is a casino or 2 that may be able to allow smoking the way it is set up here, I haven't heard the final decision on that, and that could really hurt non-profits like Colts if people are allowed to gamble in those environments while smoking.

[mad_scotty]

Apparently she'd rather be home passing second-hand smoke on to her grandchildren ...

#### it. I don't care if Bingo suffers ... In the long run banning smokers from public venues is a good thing.

why is that? theres no scientific evidence that allowing people to smoke in public creates any health risks, its really more of a litter risk or a minor irritation to nonsmokers. they are actually more of a danger to their own families if they stay at home and smoke (the only proven second hand smoke risk is that of a long term cohabitor, the whole restaurant bar bingo hall deal is a myth)

Edited July 4, 2008 by mad_scotty

[DCIHasBeen]

why is that? theres no scientific evidence that allowing people to smoke in public creates any health risks, its really more of a litter risk or a minor irritation to nonsmokers. they are actually more of a danger to their own families if they stay at home and smoke (the only proven second hand smoke risk is that of a long term cohabitor, the whole restaurant bar bingo hall deal is a myth)

[JOHNNY_A]

No smoking allowed in bingo halls, or casinos up here in Ontario Canada and they still rake in literally billions per year. The smokers just go outside. No big deal!

[bedford]

No smoking allowed in bingo halls, or casinos up here in Ontario Canada and they still rake in literally billions per year. The smokers just go outside. No big deal!

Brantford must be an island to itself in Ontario JOHNNY EH!.

Bingo revenue has taken a #### kickin' in the rest of the Province

[kyushujet]

Here's my humble opinion on smoking and Bingo. Smoking is an addiction. And where you have one addiction, you usually have another, like Bingo, which is gambling, which is an addiction. Kind of like when you ask someone that smokes if they drink coffee or vice-versa. 99 times out of 100, smokers will say they drink coffee, which is a caffeine addiction.

It is very difficult for someone who both smokes and drinks coffee to quit one habit. Because if you get someone to stop smoking, yet they keep drinking coffee, the urge to light up a cigarette is irresistable and vice-versa.

So, when you ask someone to not smoke while they play bingo, when they've been doing it all their lives, you might as well ask them to cut off their hand with a meat cleaver. Most bingo players will leave in droves and find places that will cater to their smoking needs, like Indian Casinos.

This will definitely hurt the bottom line for drum corps bingo halls, but should corps be making a profit off people's addictions? Ah, there's the rub. I guess each corps has to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves if they are ok with that.

It's an easy way to raise money, but is it right? I have first hand experience on how bingo (gambling addiction) can tear a family apart, so I say "No."

[Stick Stack]

why is that? theres no scientific evidence that allowing people to smoke in public creates any health risks, its really more of a litter risk or a minor irritation to nonsmokers. they are actually more of a danger to their own families if they stay at home and smoke (the only proven second hand smoke risk is that of a long term cohabitor, the whole restaurant bar bingo hall deal is a myth)

I have to disagree. There is plenty of scientific evidence to support that smoking in public areas creates health risk. Wikipedia lists them on their second hand smoking page.

If you don't trust wikipedia, here's a link to the surgeon general's report.

http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/

This is going to be tough for the Colts.