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Smokefree Casino Advocates Call On NJ Lawmakers to Return Tobacco Money

“It’s hard to imagine sending a worse signal to the casino employees forced to breathe smoke for eight hours a day”

July 23, 2021

Contact: press@no-smoke.org

Atlantic City, NJ – Smokefree casino advocates are calling on New Jersey legislators to return any and all contributions they’ve received from the tobacco industry and to refuse any future contributions.

A new report this week from Politico finds Philip Morris made campaign contributions to New Jersey state legislators in the second quarter of 2021 that “are among the largest it has made in the last decade.” These ramped up contributions came as indoor smoking returned to casinos earlier this month and gaming workers push lawmakers, especially Senate President Steve Sweeney, to take action to close the casino loophole.

Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, released the following statement:

“Too many lawmakers have yet to sign on to legislation to close the casino loophole to protect workers and guests from secondhand smoke at Atlantic City casinos, yet they’re collectively accepting tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the tobacco industry. It’s hard to imagine sending a worse signal to the casino employees forced to breathe smoke for eight hours a day. We call on state legislators to return these contributions, refuse any future tobacco industry dollars, and add their names to S1878/A4541. It’s time to treat casino employees–a majority of whom are Black, Brown and women workers–with the same respect as every other worker in New Jersey.”

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Background
On Tuesday, Politico reported that “a subsidiary of one of the largest cigarette makers in the world pumped nearly $50,000 into New Jersey elections during the second quarter of 2021, including more than $36,000 to campaign committees backing Democrats who had spearheaded efforts to curtail tobacco use in the previous legislative session. Philip Morris USA, which is owned by Altria, gave $18,000 to the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee and $18,500 to the Senate Democratic Majority Committee in June. Separately, the company contributed $11,000 each to the Assembly Republican Victory and Senate Republican Majority committees, according to filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.”

Meanwhile, casino workers are speaking out. “In my 20 years as a dealer, I’ve seen too many of my coworkers develop serious health issues directly related to secondhand smoke,” said Borgata dealer Nicole Vitola. “I was pregnant with my son, and I was in, I had to be in a high roller room with six people smoking cigars and I had to just stand there and deal, and I did.”

ABOUT AMERICANS FOR NONSMOKERS’ RIGHTS
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for 45 years, since 1976, to protect everyone’s right to breathe nontoxic air in workplaces and public places, from offices and airplanes to restaurants, bars, and casinos. ANR has continuously shined a light on the tobacco industry’s interference with sound and life-saving public health measures and successfully protected 61% of the population with local or statewide smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws. ANR aims to close gaps in smokefree protections for workers in all workplaces, including bars, music venues, casinos, and hotels. For more information, please visit https://no-smoke.org/ and https://smokefreecasinos.org/.

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TIPS FOR GOING SMOKEFREE
Smokefree Casinos Checklist

For casinos and hospitality sector businesses, now is the logical time to go smokefree indoors. Smokefree air helps casinos avoid mixed messages. Ensuring a safe and healthy environment for work and entertainment will be part of the “new normal.” This also includes providing a smoke-free environment sending a positive message stating that the casino cares about the health and wellbeing of guests and employees.

Current clientele will not have disposable income to come in right away to play. Providing a smokefree environment attracts a different type of non-smoking clientele, one that could have more disposable income as they are not spending their money purchasing tobacco products.

According to the CDC, 90% of young adults are nonsmokers and 92% of older adults age 65+. Secondhand smoke is a top customer complaint and a barrier to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce.

With consultation of subject matter experts and learning from the more than 1,000 smokefree casino and gaming venues nationwide, we recommend the follow steps to re-open as smokefree:

Gather Stakeholders: Hold a virtual meeting or phone call with key managers and staff to discuss plans to implement a smokefree policy change. Providing a healthy, smokefree environment minimizes illnesses, doctor visits (health insurance costs) and absenteeism of staff (re-scheduling shifts). Explain how the change will impact the business routine and how staff and patrons can comply with the new policy. Share smoking cessation resources, like your state’s quitline, to help employees who may want to use this opportunity to cut back or quit smoking.
Survey Patrons: Consider conducting a survey of player’s club members and customers to understand the perceptions of current players, as well the potential to bring in new gaming customers and growing non-gaming revenue streams. A sample of questions can be found by visiting: https://smokefreecasinos.org/sample-patron-survey/.
Set the Policy: Only 100% smokefree indoor policies can truly protect the health and safety of employees and patrons. Determine where smoking will be allowed for staff or customers that choose to do so. Set a distance away from doors, windows, and air intake units where smoking will be allowed to ensure secondhand smoke doesn’t infiltrate back into the building. Cost savings can be realized by saving on air filtration systems as the frequency of changing the air filters on the HVAC systems is lessened.
Thoughtful Approach to Design: Consider the best options for placement of outdoor smoking areas located off the gaming floors. People get up from table games and slots to do other things like to eat, go to the restrooms, or visit other amenities. Select areas that allow customers to step outside to a smoke for a few minutes and return to play. Shifting smoking to outdoor smoking areas detached from casino building is not that expensive to implement, nor is it a major inconvenience to guests who wish to smoke to utilize it.
Select a Date: Choose a date on the calendar that smoking and vaping will no longer be allowed indoors. Upon reopen a non-smoking environment offers something new and exciting to promote and announce.
Communicate the Change: Announce to all employees and customers that you have now adopted a smokefree policy. Social media is a great way to reach your audience giving the policy widespread recognition and reach a broad customer base. Consider partnering with social influencers like BC slots to highlight the change in a fun and engaging way.
Prepare the Space: r Remove all ashtrays from the gaming floor and tables. Remove the residue left behind by thirdhand smoke – including from machines—which includes cleaning walls, ceilings, and carpets and replacing HVAC filters. Providing a smokefree environment helps to maximize the investment made to deep clean, disinfect and sanitize as well as to preserve the sanitary environment of the business. Consider removing, swapping out or cleaning draperies and upholstery. It’s a perfect time to freshen your look!
Prepare your Employees: To help ensure po

Smokefree Casino Advocates Call On NJ Lawmakers to Return Tobacco Money

“It’s hard to imagine sending a worse signal to the casino employees forced to breathe smoke for eight hours a day”

Casino Cards Money Smoke Store

TIPS FOR GOING SMOKEFREESmokefree Casinos Checklist

TIPS FOR GOING SMOKEFREE
Smokefree Casinos Checklist