Smoking and gambling have gone hand in hand for Deanna Standing Rock for years.

But when the statewide smoking ban went into full effect earlier this month, adding bars and casinos to the list of public places where smoking is not allowed, Standing Rock didn’t fear an end to her smoke-and-slots routine. That’s because she plays at a casino located on one of Montana’s seven Indian reservations, where smoking is still allowed inside bars and casinos.

Reservations are exempt from the Montana Clean Indoor Air Act, although far-reaching smoking bans have been implemented by Montana’s sovereign tribes. The act does apply to nontribal members who own bars and casinos on Indian reservations.

The exemption has created a competitive edge for businesses such as the Chippewa Cree tribe’s Northern Winz Casino on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, according to casino officials. They are now marketing the casino as smoker friendly in order to lure customers away from bars and casinos located off the reservation.

Northern Winz General Manager Jason Belcourt sees the edge as a way to reinvigorate the struggling casino, which would in turn benefit the tribe and its members.

But would an economic boost come at the detriment of the health of the casino’s employees and customers, some of whom are tribal members, such as Standing Rock?

That’s the question Belcourt, along with state and tribal officials, is pondering. And there are similar situations unfolding on other Montana reservations.

Statistics show that smoking is causing significant health issues for Montana’s Native Americans.

According to the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the prevalence of smoking among Native American adults was 55 percent in 2008, compared with 14 percent of white adults.

Native Americans in Montana are dying from heart disease because of higher rates of tobacco use, among other factors, according to the health department. Studies have shown that when cities adopt smoking bans, it leads to a dramatic decline in heart attacks caused over time by exposure to secondhand smoke.

Native Americans in Montana also are being diagnosed with lung and bronchial cancer at a higher rate than the rest of the state, according to the state health department.

The health department’s most recent survey of tobacco use showed that more than two-thirds of Native Americans believed that smoking should not be allowed in restaurants and other public indoor places.

Linda Lee, head of the state’s Tobacco Use Prevention Project, would like to see reservations snuff out smoking in their bars and casinos. The intent of the state act is to protect Montanans from secondhand smoke indoors, Lee said.

“We’re hoping they all will pass the same type of policy as the Clean Indoor Air Act. Obviously, it’s the best thing to do to protect people from secondhand tobacco smoke, but it may take some time,” Lee said.

That sentiment is shared by tobacco prevention specialists on some of the state’s reservations.

The Chippewa Cree Tribe’s tobacco prevention specialist, Theda Moorsette, said she would like to see the tribe adopt a policy similar to the state regulation. To do so, tribal members would have to begin voicing complaints, which Moorsette hasn’t heard of to date. She echoed Lee’s words, saying it could be a while before that type of change occurs.

Neil Rosette, Chippewa Cree compliance officer, said the tribe is making efforts to curb the commercial use of tobacco among its residents, and to reduce the amount of secondhand smoke. There is no smoking allowed in tribal buildings, tribal vehicles or within 50 feet of an entrance of a tribal building, he said. Similar policies are in place on other reservations in Montana, including the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

Moorsette said 52 tribal members have been able to quit smoking through the tribal tobacco prevention programs since 2003. She added that she has led a tobacco awareness program in Rocky Boy schools and education packets previously were handed out to tribal members.

“I know we’ve had changes. People are becoming more and more aware,” Moorsette said.

The idea of eliminating smoking inside casinos hasn’t yet been brought up to Rosette, but it’s something that could come up, he said.

Moorsette hopes that will happen. “It’s up to the people to complain if they want to change it. It would be good for our health and youth,” she said.

Similar prevention efforts are ongoing on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, according to Nadine Little Plume, the tribe’s tobacco prevention specialist.

A smoking ban was put in place on that reservation in 1989 and amended in 1995, Little Plume said. The policy currently allows smoking inside bars and casinos on the reservation. Little Plume said not allowing smoking in those establishments would help prevention and health efforts on the reservation.

“I think it would help tremendously,” she said.

Glacier Peaks Casino officials in Browning were unavailable for comment, as was Blackfeet Tribal Health Chairman Reis Fisher.

Lee drew a distinction between commercial, more addictive tobacco use and the spiritual use of tobacco by Native Americans. Tobacco is often used as an offering during tribal ceremonies or prayer, she said. Lee has previously said that specialists have a difficult job in educating about the harmful use of commercial tobacco while not infringing upon spiritual beliefs.

“We try to balance commercial tobacco use and prevention while acknowledging the need for cultural continuation,” Lee said.

In the meantime, the ban has dealt a bad hand for off-reservation bars and casinos in communities such as Box Elder.

Jitterbugs is a casino, bar and restaurant located in the community just off the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation, and most of its customers come from the reservation. Customers of Jitterbugs and other Box Elder establishments have to step outside — and sometimes away from their gaming machine — to smoke.

Smoking is allowed inside the Bear Paw Casino at Rocky Boy Agency, but alcohol is not served.

About six miles northeast of Box Elder is Northern Winz Casino, where patrons can drink and smoke while they gamble. Jitterbugs owner Jean Belcourt said she has not yet seen a drop in the number of customers at the bar but fears it may come this winter.

“It’s very frustrating,” she said.

More customers have been coming to Northern Winz since smoking was eliminated inside off-reservation bars and casinos, Jason Belcourt said, citing the ability to smoke indoors as the reason.

He said he didn’t know if customers were coming from nearby Box Elder or from Havre, which is about 20 miles northeast of the casino. Before the ban went into effect, losing customers was something that concerned some bar and casino owners whose establishments are near Northern Winz, Jason Belcourt said.

“I can understand their situation, but I have to take advantage of every opportunity that comes along,” he said, adding that he recently placed an ad in the Havre Daily News stating the casino is smoker friendly.

Smoking is still allowed in the Fort Belknap Casino, and manager Rob Williams said he has heard both sides of the issue. Some people say they don’t like smelling like an ashtray when they leave the casino, while others say they won’t gamble there if smoking is eliminated. Williams is considering a move to appease both sides — building a nonsmoking section.

Tom Farmharn, president of the Hi-Line Tavern Association, said it’s hard to tell if customers are leaving establishments in Hill and Blaine counties for bars and casinos on the reservation. He expects the subject to be brought up at the association’s meeting next month.

Jason Belcourt believes the competitive edge will be short-lived, so he plans on being aggressive in hopes of turning fortunes around at Northern Winz.

The Chippewa Cree tribe’s $18 million, 20,000-square-foot casino opened in February 2007 on an isolated stretch of U.S. Highway 87. Because of a rough start, money allotted for promotions and marketing had to be directed to other operations, Jason Belcourt said.

There’s hope that the latest marketing campaign will get people to come to the casino, he said. Success would mean expansion, which, in turn, would mean more jobs on a reservation with a 50 percent unemployment rate.

“We have to take a plunge,” Jason Belcourt said.

Lee said that smokers won’t choose to go to a bar or casino just because it allows smoking. She noted that smokers also inhale more smoke — from their own cigarette plus secondhand smoke — when at a smoking establishment.

“They’re getting twice as many toxins,” Lee said. “A smoker should not be rushing to a smoking casino. It’s still extremely unhealthy for them.”

Jason Belcourt is cognizant of the harm he could be causing his customers — and it’s something that troubles him. He said he is planning on building a nonsmoking section in the casino to accommodate those who don’t want to deal with the cigarette smoke.

The state’s Tobacco Use Prevention Project provides funds to combat smoking for Native Americans living on and off reservations. Lee said specialists will continue to provide information and assistance to help people in reservation communities.

source: www.greatfallstribune.com

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