| Businesses in West Virginia that meet certain criteria could be exempted from county indoor air regulations, allowing smokers to light up, if lawmakers approve a bill that's pending at the State House.
The bill has been moved forward by delegates that have casinos and racetracks in their districts, those businesses saying smoking bans are costing them money.
WV has among the worst rates of smoking in the USA.
The bill says that a county board of health would submit an exemption request to a county commission for consideration if (A) only those over the age of 21 are allowed in, (B) at least 10 percent of the business is dedicated to a no smoking area and (C) a ventilation system which exchanges air three times per hour is operating, according to
House Majority Leader Daryl Cowles (R-Morgan).
"We're trying to strike a balance between reasonable regulations and business and I think we're getting there," Crowles said.
The final decision would be left to county commissions, not the individual county boards of health which currently oversee indoor air regulations in West Virginia.
Smoking bans at different levels are presently in effect in more than 40 West Virginia counties.
The roll-back is widely opposed by health groups, who say secondhand smoke presents a hazard, and HVAC systems don't work, also maintaining secondhand smoke creates workplaces that are dangerous.
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