The Friday night bingo games that St. Mary's Catholic Church sponsors at the Bingo Hall on Milton Road are going to be smoke-free beginning Sept. 2.
The church has seen a steady decline in participation and it's been hard to garner support from the parish community because smoking was allowed, said Sandi Carr, the bingo coordinator. She said it's important people participate because the funds go toward defraying the mortgage costs of the new church on Lowell Street.
"We need to try something to get the people in," Carr said. "It was just smokey in there. Husbands would say (to their wives), 'Please take a shower before you come to bed.''
Carr said around 50 people have been playing, but she hopes that shoots up to 80 or 90 people on Friday nights. The games will not be smoke-free on Saturdays becauseorganizers didn't want to make too many changes all at once, she said. She said the building's owner, which rent the space, may try smoke-free games on Tuesdays starting in October. The games have been going on nearly seven years.
"Hopefully this will bring in some of those people that would rather be able to play without being choked to death by second-hand smoke," said Carr, a smoker herself. "It will also help me quit." Sister Lucie Ducas said the smoke-free environment will encourage people to volunteer to help to run the games. "She needs at least three or four floor workers and two or three people in the kitchen and to sell papers at the beginning," Ducas said.
Ducas said she's happy with the change. "My clothes smelled like smoke all the time," she said. She said greater participation will mean better prizes. "The more people we have the higher prizes we can offer and the more money the church gets to meet out expenses, and it also develops a community spirit," she said.
Beth D'Ovidio, director of public relations for the American Lung Association of New Hampshire, said similar changes are happening across the state. "We're definitely seeing more and more business going smoke-free," she said. "It's an increasing trend."
D'Ovidio wasn't aware of any churches or bingo halls making the change, but she said it does make sense. "People are recognizing that second-hand smoke is more than just a nuisance," she said. "It's a health hazard."
D'Ovidio said the church should be applauded. "I'm certain our organization will reach out to St. Mary's Church and offer our congratulations to this positive step toward a smoke-free environment," she said.
There is not a state ban on smoking in public places though communities throughout the region are adopting policies and ordinances prohibiting tobacco use in public places like parks.
