ANR Honors the Anniversary of Smokefree Skies Legislation by Calling for Protections for All Workers

Berkeley, CA — Decades after flight attendants won a hard-fought battle to clear the air in airplane cabins, their victory remains a defining moment for worker health and safety. But while airline workers no longer have to breathe secondhand smoke on the job, thousands of others — especially casinos employees — are denied the same protections.

The law prohibiting smoking on domestic flights, which took effect 35 years ago today, was made possible by a broad coalition of health groups, legislative champions including Senator Frank Lautenberg and then-Representative Richard Durbin, and tenacious flight attendants who were willing to speak up publicly for their right to breathe.

The Smokefree Skies victory set the stage for broader workplace protections by showing that smokefree policies can protect workers without harming business. Unfortunately, casino employees in many states are still exposed to toxic secondhand smoke, having not yet received the protections flight attendants fought for years ago.

“The fight for smokefree workplaces didn’t end with airplanes — it continues today in casinos and other workplaces where secondhand smoke remains a serious health threat,” said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of ANR. “Flight attendants refused to back down, and their success paved the way for healthier workplaces everywhere. Now, we need that same momentum to protect casino workers. No worker should have to choose between their paycheck and their health, and it’s long past time for casino employees to receive the same protections that flight attendants won more than three decades ago.”

As the fight for smokefree workplaces continues, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is calling on state lawmakers to prioritize the health and safety of all workers by passing smokefree protections. The Smokefree Skies victory serves as a powerful example, and it’s time for states to follow suit and protect casino workers and others still exposed to secondhand smoke in their workplaces.

Background

See Senator Durbin’s remarks following the 25th anniversary of smokefree skies legislation.

Hear what veteran flight attendants have to say about working on smoke-filled flights then and their smokefree workplaces now. Watch Patty Young, one of the early voices in the fight, describe what it was like to work in a smoke-filled airplane.

As of 2024, nearly all U.S. hub airports are 100% smokefree indoors including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Salt Lake City, JFK, Newark,  and many more. The most recent to implement no-smoking policies were Washington Dulles in 2023 and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in 2020..

See ANR’s lists of 100% Smokefree U.S. Airports and Smoking Policies in the 35 Busiest U.S. Airports.

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Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR), sister organization to 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.