As Smoking Rates Hit Historic Low, Casinos Face Pressure to Go Smokefree
Recent Gallup Poll Shows “A Sharp Decline in Rates of Cigarette Smoking Among America’s Young Adults” to 6% Versus 35% in Early 2000s
ANR: Casinos in the Biggest Gambling Market Need to Know that Indoor Smoking is a Losing Bet
Las Vegas, NV — As smoking rates among Americans continue to decline, with just 11% of adults now reporting cigarette use — a historic low — casinos in Las Vegas are reportedly moving to eliminate smoking from more of their facilities. But while some Strip casinos are beginning to crack down on smoking in hotel rooms, they still lag behind public opinion when it comes to smoking on their casino floors, where secondhand smoke poses a significant risk to workers and patrons alike.
According to a recent Axios report, “a sharp decline in rates of cigarette smoking among America’s young adults — once the likeliest group to smoke — is driving the trend. In the last three years, around 6% of people under 30 say they’ve smoked cigarettes in the past week — compared to 35% in the early 2000s.”
Recent reports indicate that major casino operators, including Caesars Entertainment and MGM, are starting to phase out smoking rooms, due to the costly burden of cleaning — with MGM Park being the only fully smokefree casino on the Strip.
“Casinos in the biggest gambling market — and in every state where smoking is still allowed in casinos — need to know that indoor smoking is a losing bet. As more Americans, especially young adults, choose to avoid smoking, it’s clear that casinos need to catch up. Younger generations are increasingly aware of the health risks associated with smoking and inhaling smoke filled air, and now are choosing to avoid it,” said Cynthia Hallett, President and CEO of Americans from Nonsmokers’ Rights. “Allowing smoking indoors is an outdated business practice that turns off guests and causes serious harm to the well-being of casino employees.”
Background
A report by Las Vegas-based C3 Gaming found that casinos without indoor smoking outperform their smoking counterparts. “Data from multiple jurisdictions clearly indicates that banning smoking no longer causes a dramatic drop in gaming revenue. In fact, non-smoking properties appear to be performing better than their counterparts that continue to allow smoking.”
According to a study by the Nevada Tobacco Control & Smoke-Free Coalition, “by a nearly 20-point margin, Nevada voters support making all workplaces in Nevada, including casinos, 100% smoke-free indoors — even after hearing an onslaught of expected opposition arguments… A clear majority — 58% — of Nevada voters support a potential law, while just 39% of Nevada voters are opposed to such a law.”
Ventilation systems are not the answer, according to the engineers who design such systems and collectively make up the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). “There is no currently available or reasonably anticipated ventilation or air-cleaning system that can adequately control or significantly reduce the health risks of [environmental tobacco smoke] to an acceptable level.”
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ABOUT AMERICANS FOR NONSMOKERS’ RIGHTS Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) 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.