Banning Smoking - Harm Minimisation Measure?

Smoking in pubs and clubs is seen as a significant health issue by many people. However it has been seen that banning smoking many also be an harm minimisation measure as most indicators show a reduction in gambling revenue when smoking is banned. Tattersall's recently blamed a third successive year of reduced poker machine revenues on the smoking bans. This flies in the face of most research that shows that smoking bans usually don't reduce patronage but increase it, so why is it so?

Maybe it is because, as published by Leader Newspapers in Victoria, many venues aren't actually properly enforcing the smoking bans or trying to find ways around it. A survey of 159 venues revealed many making little attempt to abide by laws.

Some methods used to segregate smoking and non-smoking areas: a metal waist high pole, pot plants, a designated corner of the room or use of fans. These are of course against the spirit and possibly the letter of the law. The worst example I have seen is a gaming venue located within a shopping centre. Smoking is banned in shopping centres and gaming floors within Victoria, however the venue laid some carpet in the shopping centre at the front of the venue, completely open to the rest of the shopping centre and designated this as a smoking area.

Non-smokers make up more than 80% of the community. Surely if venues and operators properly applied the law properly, logic suggests they would encourage more patrons to gamble. Unless of course they would rather have a patronage that is already displaying an addictive behaviour (to tobbacco) on the presumption that they may become addicted to poker machines and become 'good' customers.

Proper enforcement would be a harm minimisation method for smokers if they need to take a break to smoke and potentially could think about their gambling. For non-smokers proper enforcement would mean a more pleasant experience in the venue. So as a harm minimisation measure, in theory probably not but currently it is due to the way it is implemented.

GG