After Twenty Years of the Smoke-Free Air Act, NJ Health Department Must Follow Expert Guidance and Work Towards Smokefree Casinos

Trenton, NJ —Last week, the New Jersey Public Health Council voted to recommend a formal resolution to New Jersey Health Commissioner Dr. Raynard Washington in support of smokefree casinos. The resolution outlines immediate actions the Commissioner should take to protect vulnerable casino workers while state legislation and a landmark court case remain pending.

Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) testified at the meeting, urging state health officials to use their positions to address the ongoing crisis inside Atlantic City casinos. Council members described the issue of smokefree casinos as “straightforward” and emphasized that the burden of indoor smoking falls disproportionately on moderate-to-low income casino workers who do not have the luxury of simply leaving their position if they are affected by toxic secondhand smoke on the job.

“Contrary to industry claims, ventilation systems are not the solution,” said ANR in their testimony. “The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) — the standard-setters for indoor air quality — findings are definitive: ‘There is no currently available or reasonably anticipated ventilation or air-cleaning system that can adequately control or significantly reduce the health risks of [environmental tobacco smoke] to an acceptable level.’

“We were incredibly proud to support the 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act in New Jersey. But we were and continue to be horrified by the loophole that leaves Atlantic City casino workers unprotected from toxic secondhand smoke in their workplace. Casinos are the only workplace in New Jersey where indoor smoking is allowed — leaving an already vulnerable population exposed to increased health risks.”

As New Jersey marks the 20th anniversary of the Smoke-Free Air Act this year, ANR is urging Commissioner Washington to champion health equity by following the recommendations of the Public Health Council — and by dropping his office’s opposition to casino workers’ lawsuit, for which ANR submitted an amicus brief.

See what casino workers say about working in secondhand smoke: the Real Deal

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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for 50 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.