Before this pandemic started, I’ve considered purchasing a face mask (or respirator), but not because I had advanced knowledge that almost everyone would be wearing face masks. Instead, it was because of Las Vegas. Vegas, as much as I have fun going there, it’s also frustrating for me to be there. The reason? Because of the Cigarette God’s omnipresence, endemic in the entirety of Vegas, violating my nose, lungs, and even my clothing. Even the mere act of walking, eating, or using a restroom is an obstacle course, as I continually evade smokers and hazy areas.
Not only does it smell horrible, it’s just outright harmful. Second hand smoke (SHS), particularly from cigarettes is just, if not worse, than actually smoking. Other than the smoke a smoker exhales, the smoke stream that is continually emitted on a lit cigarette is more toxic, as it is unfiltered (from both the ineffective cigarette filter and the smoker’s lungs). So, I am very glad to hear that Park MGM/NoMad will reopen as Las Vegas’s first non smoking casino and resort on September 30th. Located on the Strip, it will most definitely serve as my refuge, or as an embassy to us humans from Nosmokelandia.