[amazon_link asins=’B01EVMK0H0′ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’nevadatoday-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’96e36def-2587-11e8-8711-bb3ccebd6e23′]By Madeline Wilcox
Good evening (Mesquite, NV) council members, my name is Madeline Wilcox and I’m a volunteer with the Mesquite Citizens for Clean Indoor Air. 
Thank you for letting me speak to you tonight.
Over the past several weeks, we’ve talked to you about the health impacts of secondhand smoke and also the high costs in terms of medical spending as a result of secondhand smoke exposure.
Even if you don’t smoke, breathing it secondhand increases your risk for heart disease, lung cancer, stroke and other serious health issues. It also costs us all in what we spend on health care in our community.
Clearly, reducing exposure to tobacco smoke is the right thing to do. It saves lives and money.
Experience shows that smoke-free businesses can thrive and succeed. Most people these days don’t smoke and don’t like to be around it. But they do like to get out, have fun and recreate. And that’s what they’re doing in places that are smoke free.
Recently, a new study came out in Illinois, where casinos are now smoke free. The researchers looked at a big chunk of history, from 10 years before casinos went smoke free to eight years after. That’s 18 years in all.
The researchers also studied casino revenues in surrounding states and accounted for a variety of industry and economic factors. And what they found is that going smoke free has had no significant economic impacts on casinos in Illinois in terms of their per-capita admissions or revenue.
I think that’s important information, as is all the rest we’ve presented here recently about the high costs we all pay due to tobacco use and secondhand smoke.
People who work and play here in Mesquite deserve healthy, clean indoor air. We encourage you to take action on behalf of our public health and do what’s right for our community.
Information:
http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2018/01/18/tobaccocontrol-2017-053966?papetoc
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