Permanent smoking ban inside Harrah’s Cherokee casinos approved by Tribal Council

By Rex Hodge

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    CHEROKEE, North Carolina (WLOS) — There’s a permanent change now inside Harrah’s Cherokee casinos in the mountains. Tribal leaders have voted to ban indoor smoking for good inside their facilities.

Up until the pandemic shut things down in March of 2020, Harrah’s casinos in Cherokee and Murphy allowed smoking inside. A couple months later when the casinos re-opened, a temporary smoking ban was put in place per COVID-19 safety protocols. And now, with the vote of Tribal Council, that smoking ban will become permanent.

“From a public health perspective, obviously we are very excited and happy about that vote,” says Vickie Bradley, Cherokee secretary of Public Health and Human Services.

Bradley says she knows the research about smoking.

“There’s over 16 million Americans a year who live with a smoking-related illness,” she says.

And she says many deaths are attributed to smoking. Bradley says 85% of our population is now non-smoking and says research at the casino shows 75% of patrons prefer non-smoking facilities. She says making the casino smoke-free follows a trend.

“Our hospital’s been smoke-free. Of course, North Carolina bans smoking in restaurants. People seem pleased, the workforce is very pleased that work there and the customer base.” Bradley says

“Because I don’t smoke myself, I would be in favor of that,” says Mac Johnston, visiting Cherokee from Florida.

Not everyone agrees with the ban though.

“If I go to the casino to play and have a beer, I want to have a cigarette too when I’m drinking my beer,” says Diana Valentine.

Valentine says the change will motivate some to head to casinos in neighboring states where they can smoke.

“And we’re going to lose that revenue,” she says.

In a statement Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos says:

We receive feedback from guests who would prefer to be able to smoke while playing their favorite games, but we also hear from those who strongly prefer the smoke-free environment. We anticipate that there will be an impact, however we can’t predict what that will be. Bradley says an amendment from Principal Chief Richard Sneed adds the opportunity for Harrah’s to build dedicated smoking sections.

She adds that it would have some kind of filtration system put in place as well.

“With reverse air handlers, just a lot of things that would make that space as safe as possible,” says Bradley. “There are workers that would volunteer to work in there.”

Bradley says the smoke-free environment is a benefit to patrons and employees.

“We feel like we are very progressive in our public health model,” she says.

Principal Chief Sneed has signed and therefore ratified the new indoor smoking ban.

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