Something appears to be missing from the agenda of an important committee meeting about the future of New Jersey casinos.
According to PlayNJ, The New Jersey Assembly's committee in charge of tourism, gaming, and the arts has decided not to discuss bill A2143 at their meeting tomorrow. It is not on the agenda. If passed, this bill would close the loophole that allows smoking inside casinos in Atlantic City.
A group called Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) is criticizing the committee's chair, William Moen, for not doing anything about this bill. Although Moen introduced a bill to ban smoking in January 2024, he hasn't taken any further steps to advance it, and CEASE is frustrated with this lack of progress.
Some also believe this is part of a coordinated effort to keep smoking in casinos.
What Will the New Jersey Casino Discussion Be About?
Although A2143 is not to be discussed, three other bills tied to casinos and gambling in New Jersey will be reviewed. Here's a look at tomorrow's agenda:
A5362: This rule would stop casinos from using games that don't involve betting to encourage people to gamble in the future.
A5447: This rule would ban this kind of betting called "sweepstakes" and set new punishments for illegal gambling activities. It also tells specific state divisions to make sure these rules are followed.
A5562: This rule requires a study by the Division of Gaming Enforcement to determine what languages should be used in gambling ads. It also limits where ads and promotions for gambling can be shown.
Battle Over Smoking in New Jersey Casinos Not New
Efforts to stop smoking in New Jersey's casinos have caused heated debates. Some protesters even smoked inside the State House to show how smoking can disturb workplaces.
This issue has also split workers in Atlantic City. Right now, smoking is allowed on 25% of the casino floor, but these areas aren't always separate, so smoke can spread throughout the building.
After a bill to fix this issue didn't move forward, workers who are part of the United Auto Workers union sued in April. They argued that they weren't being equally protected by the state's indoor smoking ban. Others say the state's recent surge in casino revenue can help fund smoke-free casino efforts.
American Cancer Society Supports the Effort
The American Cancer Society supports the effort by providing resources and information on the dangers of secondhand smoke. Their researchers say secondhand smoke is just as harmful as the smoke inhaled directly by smokers because it contains the same toxic chemicals.
The U.S. Surgeon General states that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, which contains at least 70 cancer-causing chemicals and can lead to heart attacks, asthma attacks, and respiratory illnesses. This is a problem for casino workers, like dealers and security staff, who are often exposed to secondhand smoke at their jobs. Even customers are not safe when smoking is allowed in these places. Exposure to secondhand smoke significantly increases the risk of early death for U.S. workers, but this risk is entirely preventable.
- For non-smokers:
- Being around secondhand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer by about 20%.
- Each year, secondhand smoke causes nearly 42,000 deaths in the U.S., including up to 7,300 deaths from lung cancer.
Currently, nearly 30 states, along with the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have laws that ban smoking in all workplaces, restaurants, and bars. Michigan added more smoke-free casinos earlier this year.
Additionally, more than 20 states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have laws that require state-regulated gaming facilities to be completely smoke-free. In the U.S., more than 1,000 gaming facilities, including 149 tribal casinos, do not allow smoking inside.
Additional Support for New Jersey's Smoke-Free Casino Bill
Moen has previously promised to work with other lawmakers to close the loophole in the law that allows smoking in casinos. His goal, as the main sponsor, is to get as much support as possible for banning smoking in New Jersey's casinos.
Besides Moen and Vitale, the bill also has two other main sponsors, one in each house of the legislature. Moen pointed out that there are a lot of co-sponsors supporting the bill—40 in the Assembly and 15 in the Senate. For the bill to pass, it needs 21 votes in the Senate and 41 in the Assembly, after going through committees in both houses.
CEASE Planning to Rally in Trenton on May 22nd
According to the group's Facebook Page, CEASE is planning to rally in Trenton on May 22nd. The post reads: "Thursday May 22nd CEASE is going to Trenton!! It's a Rally, it's a Protest!! We have a couple things up our sleeves for those cowards in office. Get those shirts out and get on the bus with us[!"
CEASE also pointed out a recent survey showing that 83% of 400 likely voters in South Jersey support a proposed law to ban indoor smoking in all workplaces, including casinos.
So, it appears that the support is there, but it's up to lawmakers to discuss the bill and move it along.
