CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department should toughen its smoking ban to match new government regulations that prohibit smoking at federal buildings, according to a Kanawha County Commission memo released Thursday.

The memo recommends the Health Department ban smoking within 25 feet of doorways and air intake ducts at public buildings and businesses. The existing countywide regulations require smokers to stand at least 15 feet away. Smoking also should be prohibited in courtyards outside county buildings, the memo says.

The federal government published its new smoking regulations in late December.

"It's a little more strict than what Kanawha County has," said Andrew Gunnoe, a county legal intern who examined the federal regulations at Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper's request. "We're just looking at trying to match the stricter standards."

Health board President Brenda Isaac said she supports strengthening the smoking ban.

But Isaac said the 25-foot requirement might be impractical because many bars and gambling parlors recently made costly changes - building outside patios where smoking is allowed, for instance - to comply with the 15-foot rule. In some cases, Health Department workers measured the distance and approved the outside smoking areas.

"We probably should have done the 25 feet, but at this point, I don't want to change the rules after they put a lot of money into building these outside areas," Isaac said. "Our main goal was to reduce indoor air pollution and exposure to secondhand smoke. We focused on protecting people from smoke inside. With 15 feet, we can do that."

Isaac said the Health Department wouldn't have to change its smoking regulations to ban smoking in courtyards outside county buildings. She said the Kanawha County Commission should do that.

"It's county property," she said.

The county's memo also suggests the Health Department's smoking ban - as the federal regulations now do - include a statement that encourages businesses and county agencies to establish smoking cessation programs.

Isaac said the Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement has a tobacco prevention workgroup that encourages people to quit smoking. Isaac serves on the coalition's board, and the Health Department belongs to the group's steering committee.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department should toughen its smoking ban to match new government regulations that prohibit smoking at federal buildings, according to a Kanawha County Commission memo released Thursday.

The memo recommends the Health Department ban smoking within 25 feet of doorways and air intake ducts at public buildings and businesses. The existing countywide regulations require smokers to stand at least 15 feet away. Smoking also should be prohibited in courtyards outside county buildings, the memo says.

The federal government published its new smoking regulations in late December.

"It's a little more strict than what Kanawha County has," said Andrew Gunnoe, a county legal intern who examined the federal regulations at Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper's request. "We're just looking at trying to match the stricter standards."

Health board President Brenda Isaac said she supports strengthening the smoking ban.

But Isaac said the 25-foot requirement might be impractical because many bars and gambling parlors recently made costly changes - building outside patios where smoking is allowed, for instance - to comply with the 15-foot rule. In some cases, Health Department workers measured the distance and approved the outside smoking areas.

"We probably should have done the 25 feet, but at this point, I don't want to change the rules after they put a lot of money into building these outside areas," Isaac said. "Our main goal was to reduce indoor air pollution and exposure to secondhand smoke. We focused on protecting people from smoke inside. With 15 feet, we can do that."

Isaac said the Health Department wouldn't have to change its smoking regulations to ban smoking in courtyards outside county buildings. She said the Kanawha County Commission should do that.

"It's county property," she said.

The county's memo also suggests the Health Department's smoking ban - as the federal regulations now do - include a statement that encourages businesses and county agencies to establish smoking cessation programs.

Isaac said the Kanawha Coalition for Community Health Improvement has a tobacco prevention workgroup that encourages people to quit smoking. Isaac serves on the coalition's board, and the Health Department belongs to the group's steering committee.

The County Commission memo says stronger smoking regulations are needed because of mounting evidence about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Businesses across the nation are taking steps to protect workers, according to the memo.

The new federal workplace revisions were designed to serve as a model for other public agencies and private industries to follow, Gunnoe said.

He added that the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department already has a strong clean indoor air ordinance, but the recommended changes would help the department protect the public's health and stay "on the leading edge of the nationwide trend to discourage smoking in public places."

Last July, the Health Department expended the countywide smoking ban to include bars, gambling parlors and the Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center.

In recent months, bar and gambling parlor owners have complained about the smoking ban, saying it has devastated their businesses.

West Virginia Lottery figures released this week show that Kanawha County gambling parlor revenues from video poker machines were down 13 percent last month compared to December 2007 - when the smoking ban wasn't in effect. Video lottery sales - the amount of money customers pump into the machines - declined by the same percentage.

However, Kanawha County gambling parlor revenues increased by 6 percent last month compared to November. Sales also were up by 9 percent.

Health board members have said that the national economic downtown has probably hurt bars and gambling parlors more than the expanded smoking ban.

Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com

or 304-348-4869.