With Ban Looming, Central City Tweaks Smoking Laws
With Ban Looming, Central City Tweaks Smoking Laws Save Email Print
Posted: 6:56 PM Dec 26, 2007
Last Updated: 6:28 AM Dec 27, 2007
Reporter: KKTV
Email Address: news@kktv11news.com

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Beginning January 1st, the statewide indoor smoking ban will extend to casinos.

Some casinos in Colorado's three mountain gambling towns are installing outdoor heaters or wind guards on patios to accommodate smokers.

The towns have acted too.

State law requires smokers to stand at least 15 feet away from entrances, although home-rule municipalities can change the distance.

Central City and Black Hawk reduced the required distance to an inch.

Last month, Central City redefined an "outdoor space" as anyplace that's at least 40 percent permanently exposed to the outdoors.

Opponents say it's a move to get around the law barring smoking in enclosed areas.

But Mayor Buddy Schmalz says the town just wanted to avoid questions over what could be considered outdoors.

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Posted by: R Zimmerman Location: C/S on Dec 27, 2007 at 09:29 PM
T, you can please some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time. Deal with it!

Posted by: T Location: Farmer on Dec 26, 2007 at 07:52 PM
As an ex smoker, i find the bans in bars, and parts of casinos incredibly infringing on the rights of smokers. i would not go to a SMOKEY bar and expect to find no smoke. hence i dont go to bars anymore. i feel it should be left up to the management of these place as they know their client's better than the council. again its the minority ruling the majority.