Representatives of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) and New Jersey’ Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) both released statements last week in anticipation of a new effort to convince New Jersey lawmakers to close the casino loophole in the state’s indoor smoking ban.
“Casino workers will not rest until they have a smokefree workplace,” said ANR President and CEO Cynthia Hallett in her statement. “New Jersey legislators must act to protect their health, and the health of patrons, early in this new legislative session.
“We know the science—secondhand smoke is deadly. We know the polling—ending indoor smoking is very popular. And we know customer preference—many more visitors would go to casinos if they were smoke-free indoors.
“Any lawmaker who stands in the way of legislation to get this done will be hard pressed to explain why—and they should spare us the tired arguments that were written in the offices of casino and Big Tobacco lobbyists. We will be fighting tirelessly to close this loophole that was the result of a compromise 18 years ago and should never have been created when the state protected every other worker in 2006. Now is the time to ignore the ridiculous scare tactics and follow common sense.”
“We cannot wait any longer for legislators to act to protect our health,” said the statement of CEASE, a group formed by Atlantic City table-game dealers. “We are stuck breathing secondhand smoke for hours at work every day. It’s unacceptable in the year 2024. We know too much about the scientifically proven consequences of secondhand smoke. Too many of us have gotten cancer, heart disease, COPD, asthma and other illnesses from these completely avoidable circumstances. New Jersey legislators have an obligation to ensure the same protections for thousands of casino workers that virtually every other worker in New Jersey is afforded. Enough already.
“We will reject false, so-called compromises that continue to jeopardize our health. Philip Morris smoking rooms are a joke, as is the idea of ‘voluntary’ shifts that would fall to our most vulnerable colleagues.”
State Senator Vince Polistiina in December declined to send a bill closing the smoking loophole to the Senate floor for a vote, saying lawmakers will consider a proposal from the industry to create the smoking rooms, where employees would voluntarily work.
