IRVINE : School Board to Consider Letting Bingo Players Smoke Outdoors

Local bingo players may be allowed to keep smoking if the school board tonight takes advantage of a loophole in a new federal anti-smoking law.

But bingo players would have to step outside the school buildings to smoke, and the legal exemption would last for only six months.

Bingo operators say most players will not attend games at the school if smoking is prohibited, and the result would be to eliminate a charity event that raises about $60,000 each year for high school instrumental music programs in the Irvine Unified School District.

Booster groups say the cost of renting other facilities is too high.

The anti-smoking law--part of the federal Goals 2000 public education legislation--bans smoking on all public school property, whether or not students are present.

The law goes into effect Dec. 26 for school districts that have received federal funding for anti-smoking programs.

The only exemption applicable allows the district to temporarily permit smoking outside school buildings, school board President Michael B. Regele said. “There would still be an immediate ban on smoking inside buildings,” he said. “A bingo player could step outside and smoke.”

Peggy Stalter, Irvine High School booster club vice president, said she would like to try continuing the games with smoking breaks for players.

“This will help us try to retain the players,” Stalter said. “I think it will be fatal without having any smoking breaks.”

School board member Margie Wakeham said smoking breaks may not prevent the exodus of players from local games.

“I’m not sure whether the bingo operators will see this as a solution,” Wakeham said.