“With no background in politics or public health, these individuals have become seasoned spokespeople in the press and advocates with legislators.”
The American Lung Association (ALA) presented the C. Everett Koop Unsung Hero Award to the members of CEASE-New Jersey in October 2024. This prestigious award honors unsung heroes who make a tobacco-free future possible by working to end the tobacco epidemic.
ALA’s Thomas Carr presented the award during the ANR Foundation’s Clearing the Air® Institute, stating: “We are proud to recognize CEASE as the 2024 C. Everett Koop Unsung Hero award recipient. CEASE leaders and members are frontline casino workers including table games dealers, slot techs, cleaning staff, and security officers. Many earn the minimum wage. With no background in politics or public health, these individuals have become seasoned spokespeople in the press and advocates with legislators. They have used their personal time to attend hearings, rallies, media events, and meetings with lawmakers and legislative staff in their efforts to achieve permanent smokefree workplace protections.”
Origins of CEASE: After the emergency pandemic smokefree casino protections were lifted and smoking returned to their workplace in 2021, three casino workers – Pete Naccarelli, Nicole Vitola, and Lamont White- said “enough is enough” and started a group called Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE). Within a few weeks, thousands of Atlantic City casino workers had joined their cause.
What began with a few brave voices has grown into a movement 3,100 strong. With ANR’s support and guidance, these casino workers—parents, grandparents, breadwinners—have transformed into powerful advocates. “We are incredibly proud to support and be working closely with the amazing casino workers who fearlessly have come together to fight for their right to a smokefree workplace and grateful to the ALA for recognizing CEASE,” said Cynthia Hallett. “The tenacity of these workers to continue this effort for the past three years and their influence in New Jersey and other gaming states that have also formed CEASE chapters, is a model for others.”
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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.
