How a Bold Public Health Policy Transformed Casinos, Protected Workers, and Boosted the City’s Economy

New Orleans, LA — Ten years ago today, the New Orleans City Council passed a landmark smokefree law, a transformative policy that has protected the health of workers and consumers — including those in the casino industry. As the Crescent City shows, gaming and entertainment economies will not only survive going smokefree, they will thrive. With its decade of smokefree gaming, New Orleans sets an example for policymakers across Louisiana and throughout the country to follow.

“New Orleans’ decision to include casinos in its smokefree ordinance was transformative for both public health and the local economy,” said Cynthia Hallett, President and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. “New Orleans shows that smokefree gaming works. You can create healthier environments for workers and visitors, while driving growth and attracting investment. The city is a shining example of how to protect the health of your citizens no matter where they work.”

Across the country, casino workers have been leading the push for safer working conditions and highlighting the risks of secondhand smoke in their workplaces. This worker-led movement is calling on lawmakers in states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania to follow New Orleans’ lead. As New Orleans marks a decade of progress, it serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for everyone to breathe clean air at work is far from over.

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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) , sister organization to the ANR Foundation, is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for over 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://nonsmokersrights.org and https://smokefreecasinos.org.

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