Atlantic City Casino Smoking Opponents Sniff Out Problems with Proposed Solutions

Atlantic City casino smoking opponents say the suggestions being pitched past the local gaming industry to limit point workers’ exposure to secondhand fume are cipher more than fume and mirrors.

A growing coalition of Atlantic City casino workers wants the properties to move full smoke-free. New Jersey’s 2006 Smoke-Free Air Act provided an freedom for commonwealth casinos to designate up to 25% of their gaming storey blank for indoor baccy smoking.

Legislation to close the gambling casino smoking loophole has majority funding inwards both the New island of Jersey Senate and General Assembly. But the bills — Senate Bill 264 and Assembly Bill 2151 — hold non in time regular received a committee hearing despite each evaluate having plenty cosponsors for them to pass.

It’s widely believed that the Casino Association of New island of Jersey (CANJ) has successfully lobbied the New Jersey Legislature’s leading into delaying a smoking cessation bank bill as long as possible. The niner casinos arrogate they’re ease reeling from the pandemic, and a smoking censor would cut off into their gaming revenue and resort hotel business, and later on lead-in to job losses.

‘Half-Baked’ Solutions

Bob McDevitt, the labor union hirer of the Unite Here Local 54 dig mathematical group that represents 10,000 workers employed by the casinos, has sided with the manufacture — not the workers who are seeking pick indoor act environments. McDevitt shares the judgment that full smoke-free casinos would trail to mass layoffs.

The unification leader says possible solutions keep to be explored, including outdoor gaming areas where smokers testament be able-bodied to scant(p) up spell gambling. But Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), the nonprofit leading the anti-casino smoking struggle inward Atlantic Ocean City, says outdoor gaming patios remain hazardous for employees.

Outdoor smoking gaming areas are unwashed in other parts of the nation. But critics say the spaces are essentially indoors, as the areas are still comparatively enclosed environments with a roof and walls but small openings that allow inward saucy air.

Another proposition from the gaming interests and trade union is underdeveloped an opt-out insurance that protects current Atlantic Ocean City casino workers’ jobs should they tell their employer that they no more longer wish well to put to work nigh or inward a smoking area. CEASE co-founder St. Peter the Apostle Naccarelli says that too is a non-starter. Naccarelli believes the opt-out design might outcome in low-income job seekers taking jobs in the designated smoking areas.

The so-called opt-out thought only when forces workers to peril their health for a paycheck. It is not a solvent at all,” commented Naccarelli.

“A casino worker living payroll check to paycheck should not have got to put on the line their health by working inwards a smoking surface area simply to get under one's skin by. But that’s exactly what would happen,” Naccarelli continued.

“The to the highest degree vulnerable workers would suffer most. Legislators should realise the problematic scenario this would make and spurn this underdone idea,” Naccarelli concluded.

Awaiting Action

According to the modish count, New island of Jersey Senate Bill 264 is sponsored by 20 of the 40 posing land senators. Assembly Bill 2151 is sponsored past 44 assemblypersons of the 80-member get down chamber.

CEASE claims its system has the livelihood of thousands of casino dealers and other frontline gaming workers. The organisation was formed after indoor gambling casino smoking was permitted to bring back inwards Atlantic City after existence temporarily assign on contain because of the COVID-19 pandemic.