Jump to full article: Great Falls (MT) Tribune, 2009-10-20
Intro: It's a niche market created by the last segment of Montana's Clean Indoor Air Act originally put in place four years ago. Across the state smoking is now prohibited in all indoor public places, including bars and casinos that had, up until Oct. 1, an exemption if they did not allow anyone younger than 18 to enter their establishments.
So it's not surprising that some businesses on the state's Indian Reservations, which are not subject to the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act, are now marketing to people who like to have a cigarette with their cup of coffee, meal or adult beverage or while gambling -- indoors.
. . .
Unemployment on the Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation is about 50 percent. Do employees of casinos that allow smoking really have the option of looking for another job that does not expose them to secondhand smoke without facing significant obstacles, such as a longer commute?
Tribes are waging a battle on commercial tobacco use, cigarettes and spit tobacco, for a good reason. According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Hu-man Services, the prevalence of smoking among Native American adults was 55 percent in 2008 . . .
"It's up to the people to complain if they want to change it," said Theda Moorsette, the Chippewa Cree Tribe's tobacco prevention specialist. "It would be good for our health and youth."
Tribes wouldn't allow school personnel to expose pupils to secondhand smoke. Most ban smoking from tribal buildings and offices to protect workers.
So why then are the tribal members who work in casinos on reservations treated by a different standard?
It's time to speak up and complain.
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