North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) is considering a change to the Cherokee Code which would prohibit public indoor smoking at the tribe’s Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort and Harrah’ Valley River Casino.
The proposed amendment to tribal law, expected to be read during the June tribal council session, states, “This section prohibits smoking, non-tobacco, and electronic cigarettes in indoor spaces of all gaming establishments of the Eastern Band.”
There are several exclusions to the law, including “the smoking or consumption of tobacco used for the purposes of traditional Cherokee cultural ceremonies” and that the new law “shall not preclude smoking in private guest rooms that are specifically designed and disclosed to guests as ‘smoking’ rooms.”
Lavita Hill, an EBCI tribal member and one of the legislation’s submitters, told the Cherokee One Feather, “By passing this ordinance change, Tribal Council will take an important step forward for the public health of our Cherokee people.
“Smoke-free casinos have an easier time attracting employees, and those employees use fewer sick days. Insurance premiums will likely drop, not only for casino employee health care costs, but for fire and liability insurance as well. Cleaning and maintenance costs will go down. Immediately, our Cherokee people will become healthier. We will become healthier as a tribe.”
The proposed Cherokee law is the latest effort in the casino industry to make temporary smoking bans imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic permanent. “Casino revenues, since going smoke-free a year ago, have not decreased,” said Hill. “The financial experiment has already been done, and it has succeeded. People want our casinos to stay smoke-free. The financials support this decision too.”
