By Laura Weber, Michigan Public Radio Network
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkar/local-wkar-911601.mp3
LANSING, MI –
Detroit's casino floors may be forced to join the rest of Michigan's workplaces in becoming smoke free. A new bill in the state Senate would expand the smoking ban to include casinos.
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The casinos are exempt from the smoking ban that went into effect a couple months ago. Representatives from the casinos told lawmakers the smoking ban would cause gamblers to leave Detroit in favor of Indian casinos that allow smoking.
Democratic state Senator Ray Basham says no workplace should be a danger to its employees.
"Michigan was the 38th state to go smoke free, but we didn't finish the job," he says. "We need to make sure that we're protecting workers that work in those venues, also."
Basham has always wanted a complete workplace smoking ban. He says the ventilation systems in casinos do not protect workers from the harmful chemicals in secondhand smoke.