• Al Capone$44.00
• Astra$7.60
• Atis$15.30
• Avalon$12.40
• Beratt$15.10
• Bond Street$12.40
• Camel$17.00
• Chesterfield$15.10
• Cigaronne$20.10
• Classic$11.10
• Cosmos$9.43
• Davidoff$21.10
• Doina$10.10
• Dunhill$31.10
• Esse$16.70
• Eva$14.70
• Focus$11.10
• Fluieras$10.10
• Glamour$14.20
• Hilton$11.10
• Karelia$18.10
• Kent$18.90
• Kiss$13.90
• L&M$14.10
• Lady$13.80
• Leana$8.10
• LD$8.40
• Luceafar$9.60
• Lucky Strike$15.60
• Marengo$22.60
• Marlboro$18.70
• Monte Carlo$12.60
• Moods$56.60
• MT$10.60
• Nistru$8.60
• OK$13.10
• Orbita$9.60
• Pall Mall$15.30
• Parliament$22.60
• Plai$10.10
• Plugarul$10.10
• Prima Lux$11.60
• Prefect$12.40
• R1 Slim$17.40
• Red & White$11.10
• Rich$16.70
• Richmond$31.10
• Ritm$11.10
• Sobranie$38.70
• Style$12.10
• Temp$10.10
• Viceroy$11.60
• Virginia$17.70
• Vogue$21.10
• Wind$12.40
• Winston$15.60
• Zimbru$9.60

Nevada lawmakers decided to ease the ban on public smoking

Finally, at least some lawmakers have figured out that the losses from public smoking ban and tax hikes hurt not only simple smokers but also state treasury. The Nevada Senate members are considering approving an amendment that would ease the regulations regarding the ban on smoking in public places.

In case the amendment passes the Assembly and is approved by the Gov. Jim Gibbons, Nevada would become the first state to limit the restrictions on smoking in public places.

In accordance with The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act that entered into force two years ago, smoking is banned in any indoor public place, including those where the teenagers are permitted and meals are served. Last week, The Nevada Senate members voted 16-5 for the amendment to ease state public smoking regulations.

In conformity with the recently approved amendment that is now passed to the Nevada Assembly for debating, the bars would be authorized to permit indoor smoking, but only in case they would not let minors younger than 21 inside.

The overwhelming majority of taverns located in the state of Nevada offer besides food and beverages a wide range of various video-poker gambling machines that used to generate a rather significant amount of revenue going to the state budget.

However, after the ban on smoking in public places was implemented, the Nevada Association of Tavern Owners reported that their revenues had dropped dramatically, even forcing many small tavern owners to close their doors. Gamblers who used to come to local taverns to play and smoke simply switched to casinos since the latter have not fallen under public smoking bans.

According to the Nevada Association of Tavern Owners vice president Tony Grant, since the ban came into effect the slot machines industry lost up to 30 percent from their average annual revenues, even before the economic downfall started and people began cutting off their expenses.

Grant, who also owns several taverns across Las Vegas, stated that the slot machines industry has been the source of considerable revenue for decades and therefore, the local lawmakers understood that they made a big mistake by imposing the ban on smoking in taverns, since the State has lost its revenues as well as the tavern owners. He said it has been a high time for Senate to do something in order to get the revenue back in the treasury.

As it was reported by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, in the past fiscal year the revenues from gambling and especially video-poker machines sink by 18percent in comparison with the previous fiscal year.

Nevada health groups and anti-smoking advocates have already made several declarations stating that they would be struggling with the amendment providing restrictions ease, mentioning that smokers would get accustomed to the restrictions, but non-smokers would be much healthier in case they would spend their time in smoke-free taverns.