It was recently reported that Circuit Court Judge James Ishmael of Fayette county, Kentucky, ruled that the operators of local bingo halls must enforce the state-wide smoking ban inside their facilities. The new ruling invalidates a district court decision issued a year ago that allowed bingo players to smoke while playing at bingo venues.

Jerry Wright, an attorney who represents smoking ban opponents, was reported as saying that he intended to ask the judge to reconsider his ruling. Currently, the ban prohibits smoking in most indoor public places, such as restaurants and bars. Supporters of the ban reportedly claimed that the ban protects employees of the bingo halls from secondhand smoke.

Nevertheless, some smoking ban foes argued that the benefit of funds collected for charitable organizations by far outweighed the secondhand smoke hazard. However, Ellen Hahn, director of the Kentucky Center for Smoke-Free Policy, reportedly said that certain studies had shown that smoke-free laws did not affect bingo revenues and that charities would still get their share of these revenues.