Smoking-ban insurance claims rejected
Three establishments challenged ordinance over drop in revenue
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A strip club, a gambling parlor and a bar recently filed insurance claims against the Kanawha- charleston Health Department, alleging that the agency’s expanded smoking ban has financially damaged their businesses.
A state agency, which insures the Health Department, has rejected the three claims.
“Just because they lost profit, it doesn’t mean the Health Department is liable,” said Charles E. Jones, director of the state Board of Risk & Insurance Management, which denied the claims earlier this month. “The Health Department is enforcing a statute and ordinance.”
Sheer Fantasy’s video lottery sales dropped 30 percent last month compared to June, the month before the smoking ban took effect. Poker machine sales also were off 60 percent last month compared to September 2007.
Source: Charleston Gazette. Link
