‘We're here for health': Kanawha-Charleston health board denies indoor smoking exemption for casinos
Tom Baldwin downloads a sports betting app onto his phone after the opening of the sports betting bar at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in December 2018. The Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health voted down an amendment to its clean indoor air regulations that would have permitted casinos in the county to allow indoor cigarette smoking in 10% of the square footage of their establishment. (Chris Dorst | Charleston Gazette-Mail)
The Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health voted down an amendment to its clean indoor air regulations on Thursday that would have permitted casinos in the county to allow indoor cigarette smoking in 10% of the square footage of their establishment.
The amendment was proposed by board member Jessica Hudson. It would have only applied only to gambling establishments, where 10% of the square footage would have been exempt to the clean air regulations. Any business that allowed indoor smoking, according to the amendment, would have needed to install a special ventilation system and would have been barred from serving food in the area with smoking.
Board members voted 4-2 against the amendment.
Mardi Gras Casino and Resort, in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, proposed the exemption for the clean indoor air regulations to the county board of health in October 2024. In its presentation to the health board, representatives for Mardi Gras said they were losing business to a new casino in Ashland, Kentucky — about an hour's drive away from Mardi Gras — where smoking was allowed in some areas.
... this is not a chamber of commerce. We're here for health.
– Dr. Dara Aliff-Lao
'Reading the financial impact certainly was impactful to me in terms of how it affects the community. But that said, this is not a chamber of commerce. We're here for health,' said Dr. Dara Aliff-Lao, an OBGYN by trade, who voted against the amendment. 'I just feel like it would send the wrong message for a health department to rescind anything. I feel like once we start eroding things, they go away completely. We've seen that time and time again in other aspects of health.'
Hudson and Board President Jeremy Nelson were the only two board members to vote in support of loosening the county's indoor smoking regulations. Joining Aliff-Lao against the amendment were nurses Lillian Morris and Danita Nellhaus and Dr. Art Rubin.
Hudson, who works as the executive director of Business Strategy & Analytics at Vandalia Health Network, declined an interview following the board's vote on Thursday.
Nelson, an executive at Moses Auto Group by trade, called into the meeting virtually Thursday and as such was not available for an interview.
During the meeting, Nelson said that he believed a 'carveout' was needed in the county's clean indoor air regulations to help Mardi Gras stay competitive against Sandy's Racing & Gaming in Ashland.
'I think this is certainly a carveout and I think that this organization [Mardi Gras] has a huge, huge impact, on our community,' Nelson said. 'They are at a disadvantage and I think they've proven that the amount of people's money that's going across the state line to Ashland [in Kentucky] right now is alarming.'
But Aliff-Lao and Nellhaus told the press following the meeting that the health risks aren't worth it.
Employees, Nellhaus said, would be constantly exposed to second- and third-hand smoke. This could put people who are unaware they were pregnant as well as those with certain medical conditions especially at risk.
'Mardi Gras did a good job as far as their presentation, but I think I have to say — no matter what they've said — I just understand the implications,' Nellhaus said. 'I mean, I'm a health care professional. I just think that totally outweighs anything that they would offer.'
Aliff-Lao pointed out that smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the nation.
In West Virginia, nearly a quarter of residents — the highest rate in the nation, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — report using tobacco products. Lung cancer diagnosis rates here outpace that of every other state. After heart disease — which is also exacerbated by smoking — cancer is the leading cause of death in West Virginia, and lung cancer deaths occur more frequently than any other cancer related death.
The vote Thursday followed a 30-day public comment period, where members of the public were urged to voice their opinion on opening up the county's clean air regulations.
Lalena Price, public information officer for KCHD, provided a copy of those comments to West Virginia Watch upon request. Out of 36 comments received, only five seemed to support allowing smoking in the county's casinos. Comments against the amendment came from casino patrons, the American Heart Association, former smokers and more.
Aliff-Lao and Nellhaus both said they were sympathetic to Mardi Gras' economic concerns. The presentation shared with the board in October alleged that the casino's market share was down to 32.8% in 2024 versus the 41.2% it held at the end of 2023.
'Mardi Gras Casino will continue to see a steady decline unless change is made to stop the erosion,' the presentation read.
But Aliff-Lao said there are other economic factors that the casino should consider, namely the continuous decline in the region's population.
'We recognize that there can be an economic impact, and you hope that the casino will rally around and find other ways to make up for that revenue,' Aliff-Lao said. 'But I think [protecting] the safety of the patrons and the employees who really would be exposed [to cigarette smoke] is our job as the board of health.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Proposed bill would allow Pennsylvania students to take mental health days
PENNSYLVANIA (WTAJ) — A representative announced plans to model new legislation after a current Utah law that allows students to take mental health days. Representative Napoleon Nelson (D-Montgomery County) called mental health a 'significant issue' among students and youth. Adding that in a 2023 report, 98,000 students have depression and over half had not received care for their mental health. 'Additionally, high school students with depression are more than two times more likely to drop out than their peers, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents,' Nelson wrote. 'Fanta's Law' aims to require Pennsylvania police firearms training courses The proposed legislation would be modeled after a current law in Utah. The bill would allow students to take excused absences to recover from mental health issues, while not creating additional personal or sick days. An additional part of the legislation would require a staff member to talk to a student who has taken two or more mental health days. In a memo to lawmakers, the additional part of the legislation would make it so that students can be connected to mental health support. 'Student mental health is just as important as physical health, and normalizing support for students with mental health issues has increased in the last several years. Teen mental health has been recognized as a crisis, and it is important for the Commonwealth to take charge in protecting the well-being of its citizens,' Nelson wrote. Nelson argues that these are the benefits of the proposed legislation: Normalizes mental health support and encourages students to take care of their mental health Provides schools with additional insight Would allow schools to connect students with essential supports rather than simply punishing them The full memo to lawmakers can be read here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Potential tropical trouble brews as heavy rain lashes Southeast coast
Welcome to the Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather. It's Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Start your day with everything you need to know about today's weather. You can also get a quick briefing of national, regional and local weather whenever you like with the FOX Weather Update podcast. A low-pressure system is brewing off the Southeast coast, threatening heavy rain and flash flooding in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center is keeping a close eye on the system for a low chance of tropical development. This system, which already dumped over 6 inches of rain on Miami earlier this week, is expected to track northward along the southeastern U.s. coastline starting Wednesday afternoon. The FOX Forecast Center is monitoring its path, noting that its proximity to land will influence the likelihood of it developing into a tropical depression or tropical storm. Strong to severe thunderstorms swept through central Kansas on Tuesday, triggering life-threatening flooding in and around eastern Wichita. The National Weather Service office that covers the Wichita area issued a Flash Flood Emergency – the highest level of flood alert – for more than 200,000 residents after rainfall rates reached between 1-3 inches per hour. Within the Flash Flood Emergency zone, storm totals reached nearly 7 inches of rainfall, which overwhelmed drainage systems and transformed roadways into rivers. The heaviest rainfall occurred east of Interstate 135, where multiple water rescues were reported throughout the afternoon. A large wave of Saharan dust making its way across the Atlantic Basin is forecast to arrive in the U.S. later this week, impacting the Southeast with hazy skies and "dirty rain." Noaa estimates that more than 180 million tons of dust leave the African continent every year, and the extremely dry air reduces thunderstorm activity and tropical cyclone formation. Saharan dust has taken over nearly the entire Atlantic Basin, according to NOAA satellites. One of the larger waves of concentrated dust approached the Caribbean on Monday. By Thursday, this thick plume is forecast to enter the Gulf of America, over the Florida Keys and cover much of the Sunshine State. Another round of dust will move in along the northern Gulf Coast by Friday and head into the Southeast. Sharks aren't the only thing beachgoers need to be on the lookout for in Florida this summer. A black bear was spotted taking a dip in the Gulf waters off Naples. A mother and son saw the unexpected creature emerging from the sea last Friday. Video taken by Kylie Nelson shows the bear swimming up to the beach and then taking a stroll. "Mom, run!" Nelson's son said as the bear approached the shoreline. Here are a few more stories you might find interesting. Record-breaking sargassum invasion in Atlantic, Caribbean threatens to foul beach resorts Air quality craters in Minneapolis as Canadian wildfire smoke blankets large swath of US Runaway zebra still on the loose after shutting down Tennessee interstate Need more weather? Check your local forecast plus 3D radar in the FOX Weather app. You can also watch FOX Weather wherever you go using the FOX Weather app, at or on your favorite streaming service. It's easy to share your weather photos and videos with us. Email them to weather@ or add the hashtag #FOXWeather to your post on your favorite social media article source: Daily Weather Update from FOX Weather: Potential tropical trouble brews as heavy rain lashes Southeast coast
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Egg prices fell for the first time in months. Will they get any cheaper?
U.S. egg prices fell in April for the first time in months but remain high as a dozen Grade A eggs are still running consumers $5.12 on average. The overall cost of eggs dropped 12.7% last month, according to the Labor Department's consumer price index. The drop represents the first month-to-month decline since October 2024. The series of price hikes over the last few months were related to the long-standing bird flu outbreak that impacted American poultry farms and egg-laying hens. The average price for a dozen Grade A eggs hit a record $6.23 in March. "Considering that we were at record level prices just a couple of months ago, I think this is a pretty big move," said Bernt Nelson, an economist at the American Farm Bureau Federation. "We can't say that it'll necessarily stay this way, but for the near term, this is great." Nelson attributes much of the price decrease due to farmers' collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement biosecurity, or measures taken to prevent the spread of bird flu, at their farms. Eylem Senyuz, a senior investment strategy analyst at Truist said prices are down also because U.S. sellers are importing a higher number of eggs. Declining costs for energy and feed needed to heat and care for chickens also contribute to the decline, he said. Changes in consumer behavior can also affect prices. If a dozen eggs costs $6 and you're used to paying $2, you may stop buying eggs altogether, resulting in less demand and eventually lower prices, Senyuz said. White House spokesperson Kush Desai celebrated the decline in a statement on May 13, touting other news from the CPI report, which also showed cooling inflation. 'The CPI report shows that the American people are experiencing real economic relief: grocery, gas, and egg prices are down, while real wages are up," Desai said. "President Trump's America First policies created a historic economy in his first term, and he's laying the groundwork to repeat the success in his second term.' But are lower egg prices temporary, or are they going to stick? More: Egg prices are up. Is raising backyard chickens a better deal? In April, the USDA still anticipated a significant rise in egg prices this year, predicting an increase as high as 54.6% in 2025. Nelson said the USDA's prediction is partially based on an assumption that farmers will continue to struggle with bird flu. However, "If things stay calm like they are now, we have a relatively low case load and that stronger biosecurity does its job and starts showing some success, we might see egg prices stay down," he said. Multiple other factors, including the rate of production will affect the price of eggs over the next few months. Even a peace-deal between Russia and Ukraine, two of the world's major grain producers could change egg prices for U.S. consumers, Senyuz said, because it could lower the cost of feed for chickens. "By just looking at input prices, energy and agriculture, and the import process that has started, if I had to guess what the next month's number should be, it should be lower rather than higher," Senyuz said. Ellen Kan, a partner at Simon-Kucher, said it's hard to tell where egg prices will be a few months from now because while there has been an effort to build back domestic supply, the sizes of egg-laying flocks are still significantly smaller than they were before bird flu outbreaks. She said the supply chain is not "meaningfully protected" in any way different from six months ago. "We are still subject to any sort of volatility or major shocks to the supply system if there is another big outbreak," Kan said. "So, I'm not sure the solve is sustainable. We could get lucky and it could stick, but who knows?" Changing tariff policy also adds to price uncertainty. High tariffs on eggs or anything that affects their production would likely mean cost increases, according to Senyuz and Kan. Grocery prices overall dropped 0.4% in April, nearly offsetting a 0.5% rise the month prior. Other breakfast essentials also fell, with the price of cereal falling 2.5% and the cost of bacon declining 1%. Other food staples did get pricier, including bread, which rose 1.6% and fresh fish and seafood, which increased 0.8%. While the cost of groceries, on average, declined, the report found the price of dining out got more expensive and is up about 4% from the past year. The price of food away from home rose 0.4% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly uptick. Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@ and follow her on X @rachelbarber_ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egg prices dropped in April. Is the decline temporary? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
