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The Navajo Nation Council on Friday voted 42-27 to proscription smoking and chewing tobacco in public places on the booking, the AP/Arizona Daily Star reports. The ban does not include tobacco secondhand in ceremonies on the reservation, placed on portions of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The tribe's Division of Health would manage compliance with the ban and issue fines of $100 for the start violation, $200 for the second and $500 for the third. Increasing hours of community service as well would be an choice for violators of the ban.
Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley has 10 days to sign or veto the legislation. Thomas Walker, shop of the tobacco ban legislation, aforementioned that Shirley has non made a direct dedication to sign it, though two eld ago Shirley made a tobacco-free promulgation of his own.
Walker added, "I think the council made a wise determination that puts the health and wellbeing of the people offset." Patricia Nez Henderson, vice president of the Blackhill Center for American Indian Health, said that the ban could help warn young tribal members from starting to smoke as well as help others who want to stop smoking and protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke.
The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise opposes the tobacco bachelor of Arts in Nursing, saying that it could put the tribe's first casino at a disadvantage because competitors still would permit smoke. The casino is expected to open later this year (Major Holmes, AP/Arizona Daily Star, 7/28).
NPR's "Morning Edition" on Monday reported on the ban (Herz, "Morning Edition," NPR, 7/28).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You tin can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for e-mail delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.
