Press Release - October 23rd, 2024

Atlantic City, NJ — Following appalling reports from The Star-Ledger that a pregnant casino worker in Atlantic City was denied essential accommodations to safeguard herself and her unborn child from the dangers of secondhand smoke, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is urging Governor Murphy and New Jersey legislators to finally act to close the state’s casino smoking loophole.

“This is a shameful and reckless disregard by the casinos for the health and safety of their workers – but it’s exactly what Governor Murphy and legislative leaders are allowing by not acting immediately to close the casino smoking loophole,” said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. “Every day, casino workers, including pregnant workers, in New Jersey are forced to breathe toxic secondhand smoke just to earn a living. The science is crystal clear: secondhand smoke poses grave risks to both mothers and their unborn children, and yet this industry continues to turn a blind eye. Every worker de-serves to feel safe on the job, and that includes working in an environment free from harmful toxins.

“It’s outrageous that in this day and age, we are still allowing anyone to force their employees to work in these dangerous conditions. This is not just an oversight. New Jersey lawmakers must take immediate action to close this smoking loophole and ensure that all casino employees can work without jeopardizing their health.”
 

Background
According to the CDC, “Secondhand smoke exposure during pregnancy causes lower birth weight. It may also cause preterm delivery. Babies exposed to secondhand smoke are at higher risk for SIDS. They are also at risk for ear infections, lung infections, and decreased lung function.”
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has warned against relying on ventilation to protect against secondhand smoke. “[Ventilation systems] are not effective against secondhand smoke” and “can reduce only odor and discomfort, but cannot eliminate exposure,” they wrote in a letter to casino executives. “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 to-bacco smoke] to an acceptable level.”

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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