In the wake of the New Jersey state Senate’s failure to send a bill to the floor last month that would close a loophole in the state indoor smoking ban to end smoking in Atlantic City casinos, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) announced it plans to form a new political action committee to bring accountability to Trenton on the issue.
CEASE, formed by Atlantic City dealers with the mission to ban smoking on casino floors, called out state Senator Vince Polistina specifically, after Polistina failed to vote a measure to close the casino loophole to the floor, subsequently announcing plans to introduce a compromise measure this year that would create “smoking rooms” where employees would volunteer to work—an idea pushed by the casino industry.
“Vince Polistina has revealed himself to be untrustworthy,” CEASE co-founder Pete Naccarellli said in a statement. “After coming to our first rally in August 2021, recruiting co-sponsors to S264 and A2151, speaking out on our behalf at every turn, he’s now copying and pasting casino executive talking points and attempting to present them as a credible solution. It’s shameful and disgusting. He has now chosen to be a front for the casinos rather than a backstop for his constituents. Don’t be fooled, he isn’t sticking up for us to protect our health.
“We have built people power over the last two-and-a-half years with thousands of AC casino employees coming together to fight for our lives. We were all new to politics. But we’ve learned that pressure and accountability are critical, and we plan to use a new PAC to support those who support us—through thick and thin. We are fighting for our lives and will battle on all fronts to pass this legislation to end indoor smoking at our workplaces.”
United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain urged lawmakers to pass legislation to end indoor smoking, after UAW members showed up at a Senate hearing and lit cigarettes to blow smoke at lawmakers in protest.
“Patrons blow cigarette/tobacco smoke directly into (dealers’) faces for eight hours, and due to the nature of their work, table dealers are unable to take their eyes away from the table, so they bear through the thick smoke that surrounds their workplace,” said Fain in a statement. “Your support would help workers in New Jersey not be forced to breathe in toxic air at their workplaces.”
