Atlantic City Votes to Clear the Air

As a fan of Las Vegas, I'm hoping this move in Atlantic City quickly spreads West:

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Atlantic City leaders have voted to ban smoking on the gambling floor of all casinos.

The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to end the last major loophole in a statewide ban on smoking in public buildings. Gambling halls had previously been exempted. The ban takes effect Oct. 15.

Patrons could still light up in unstaffed smoking lounges away from the table games and slot machines.

Casino workers attended the vote. Many wore T-shirts with the slogan "Nobody deserves to work in an ashtray."

To their credit, Vegas has eliminated smoking in many areas of the hotel/casinos. The restaurants all went non-smoking a couple of years ago, and as I noted during my last visit, you don't have the overwhelming smell of smoke as you walk in the doors of the major resorts like you used to. They do, however, still allow smoking on the casino floor which can be quite uncomfortable since you have to walk through there to get anywhere in the big-name hotels (not to mention if you want to lose a few quarters along the way).