December 10, 2021
Contact: press@no-smoke.org
VIDEO: Watch the entire press conference
Associated Press: Casino Workers Mad that NJ Speeds Tax Break, Not Smoking Ban
“Atlantic City casino workers are furious that the New Jersey Legislature is moving quickly to pass a bill giving tax breaks to the gambling halls, but not acting on a measure that would permanently prohibit smoking in the casinos…“Why doesn’t the state of New Jersey care about us?′ asked Lamont White, a Borgata dealer who has worked in Atlantic City casinos for 36 years. ”Why is the (Legislature) focused on tax cuts for the casinos rather than the health of their workers? Please, don’t leave us behind in the smoke.”
News 12 New Jersey: Atlantic City Workers Call on Lawmakers to Ban Smoking Inside Casinos
“Many casino workers contrasted the progress of the stalled smoking ban bill against another piece of legislation that would reduce the amount of money casinos pay towards taxes. That bill is speeding its way through legislative committees.”
WHYY NPR Philadelphia: Workers Urge Lawmakers to Ban Smoking at N.J. Casinos
“Some advocates are upset that the Legislature fast-tracked a bill sponsored by outgoing Senate President Stephen Sweeny (D-3), including tax breaks for Atlantic City casinos. If legislators pass that bill, revenue from internet gambling and online sports betting would be exempt from calculations on how much money casinos in the Jersey shore town would pay to the municipality, the county, and Atlantic City’s school district.”
ABC 6 Philadelphia: Casino Workers in Trenton Demanding End to Special Exemption for Casinos
NBC 4 New York: Casino Workers Call for Ending Casino Smoking Loophole
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR NONSMOKERS’ RIGHTS
Americans for Nonsmoker’s 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/.
###
