The London Ky City Council passed a smoking ban

Another eastern Kentucky city is going smoke-free. Bingo halls are not exempt, including one run by the Laurel County Fire Department. Fire officials there say the ban could force them to shut the department down. Laurel County Fire Department officials say most of their four hundred thousand dollar yearly budget comes proceeds from their bingo hall, where smoking was allowed. They circulated a petition at Bingo Zone Sunday to see if players were okay with smoking inside the hall, and all but six out of 218 people signed yes. "There are five other bingo halls, which are non-smoking, and our customers could go to those halls," says Hershel Blanton, chairman of the Laurel County Fire Department's board of directors. Fire department officials say losing customers will mean losing money, which could hurt people who depend on them for fire protection. "If we did have to fold up and close down, there could be 20,000 people affected, 7400 households," says Blanton. The London City Council did exempt tobacco stores, and smoking rooms in hotels and nursing homes. One of the two council members that voted against the ordinance says if the bingo hall is exempt, other businesses should be too. "I felt like if there was an exemption for local charities, a fire department ... the private businesses should also be included in some sort of exemption," says Jason Handy, a London City Councilman. But for now, the smoking ban is set to take effect as is, and Laurel County Fire Department officials say their future hangs in the balance. Once published in the local paper, which could happen later this week, the London smoking ban will be in effect. But local businesses will have 60 days to make the transition before it will be enforced.