Public Comments Submitted Urging the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to Implement Smokefree Policies for All Licensed Casinos
| Trenton, NJ – Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) and Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) submitted public comments in response to proposed updates by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s (DGE) to “modernize certain licensing requirements for casinos and racetracks that host sports wagering facilities and activities.” The comments urge DGE to require smokefree policies as part of the licensing process for all casino properties in New Jersey. ANR and CEASE are calling for the inclusion of smokefree policies to protect both workers and patrons from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. The proposal would require that all licensed casino properties in Atlantic City operate as completely smokefree facilities, in line with the growing demand for safer, healthier indoor environments. In a comment submitted to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, Cynthia Hallett, President and CEO of ANR, said, “Ensuring that all casinos are smokefree would ensure workers aren’t forced to choose between their livelihood and their health, and it would give patrons a chance to enjoy the Atlantic City experience without inhaling harmful toxins. We urge the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to make smokefree policies a key part of the licensing process for all casinos in Atlantic City.” CEASE co-founders and Atlantic City casino dealers, Nicole Vitola, Pete Naccarelli and Lamont White, said in a submitted comment, “We’re asking the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to require that every licensed casino hotel in Atlantic City operate as a smokefree facility. Why? Because workers and patrons deserve better than exposure to harmful toxins just to enjoy a night out or a paycheck. By requiring that all licensed casino properties are smokefree , New Jersey would not be ahead of the curve; it would simply be keeping up with the times. Across the country, more and more industries are making the responsible choice to create safer, healthier workplaces. Casinos shouldn’t be an exception.” |
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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) 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
Casino Employees Against Smoking (Harmful) Effects (CEASE) is a group of thousands of casino dealers and other frontline gaming workers that formed after indoor smoking returned on July 4, 2021 in Atlantic City, NJ and has expanded to states around the country. CEASE is fighting to permanently remove smoking from our workplaces. For more information, visit ceasesmoking.org.
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