An impassioned plea to state lawmakers and gaming commissions has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding indoor smoking in casinos.
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR), a prominent anti-smoking advocacy group, recently released an open letter calling for an end to smoking in casinos. The letter, addressed to state lawmakers and regulators, emphasized the negative health risks associated with indoor smoking and its impact on responsible gaming.
“Allowing smoking on gaming floors not only poses significant health risks to workers and patrons alike, but it also encourages prolonged gambling sessions without breaks – a fundamental tenet of responsible play,” ANR stated in the letter.
The group also highlighted a statement from the US National Council on Problem Gambling, which suggested that making casinos smoke-free could help reduce problem gambling and improve public health.
The issue was further discussed at a recent event in Washington, DC, where Nevada US representative Dina Titus addressed concerns raised by public health groups regarding smoking in casinos.
“This is something that the state legislature has looked at off and on, and again, you find the industry regulating itself,” Titus remarked. “If you go practically anywhere on the Strip with all the new casinos, they have the very latest technology. It’s not the low-ceiling, old-time places that are so smoky that you find a few left downtown, but they’ve done a pretty good job. Even some of the slot machine banks have filters on the side that suck out the bad air, so I would challenge you to go in places like that and find that it will be a very smoky atmosphere.”
In response to Titus’ comments, ANR quickly issued a statement refuting the notion that ventilation systems in casinos effectively protect against secondhand smoke.
“The engineers who design ventilation systems have repeatedly told casinos to stop claiming that they protect workers and guests from dangerous secondhand smoke,” said ANR president and CEO Cynthia Hallett. “These systems remove odor, not carcinogens and other harmful chemicals. The only way to guarantee that customers and workers are breathing clean air is to eliminate indoor smoking from casinos, full stop.”
Hallett also cited the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, which argued that no ventilation or air-cleaning system can adequately control or significantly reduce the health risks of environmental tobacco smoke.
Furthermore, Hallett highlighted a poll conducted earlier this year by Normington Petts, which showed that nearly 60% of Nevada voters support making all workplaces, including casinos, smoke-free.
The debate over indoor smoking in casinos continues to be a contentious issue, with advocates on both sides presenting arguments for and against the practice. As lawmakers and regulators grapple with this complex issue, the health and well-being of workers and patrons remain at the forefront of the debate.
