The American Cancer Society has thrown in the towel in its fight against smoking at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Las Vegas Sun reported this month.
The group filed a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) in 2009, objecting to a law that was passed by the Nevada state legislature allowing smoking at trade shows that are not open to the public, are being produced by the tobacco industry or include displays of tobacco products, as in the case of shows that are produced by the convenience store industry.
American Cancer Society officials argued that people who go into convention centers during and after smoking is permitted will be exposed to harmful tobacco chemicals that can collect on walls, carpets, the ceiling and furnishings. In their lawsuit, they objected to the circumstances under which the pro-smoking bill was passed, as it was coupled with an unrelated bill on stalking.
Although a district judge rejected its arguments, the American Cancer Society appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court. The group dropped its appeal this summer, however, because the state legislature passed a new law in June that dealt exclusively with the smoking issue and separated it from the companion bill on stalking.