Press Release - October 17, 2022

Contact: ceasesmokingnj@gmail.com 

Atlantic City, NJ— In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, Lamont White, co-leader of Casino Employees Against Smokings Effects (CEASE), issued the following statement:

“This Breast Cancer Awareness Month we remain mindful of our colleagues and friends who have had to face the scary reality of being diagnosed with cancer after working in smoke-filled casinos for much of their lives. Our comrade Tammy Brady this summer bravely shared her story of fighting stage-two breast cancer and her fears about being forced to return to work and breathe secondhand smoke.

“Thousands of Atlantic City casino workers have been organizing and raising our voices to close the casino smoking loophole and protect workers who have to spend their entire shifts surrounded by smoke. We’re not only fighting for our colleagues who are recovering from cancer, we’re fighting in hopes of preventing anyone else from getting cancer in the first place.

“Frankly, it is insulting and hypocritical for the casino industry to tout their half-hearted efforts to raise awareness all while they oppose legislation in Trenton to get rid of smoking inside their facilities and provide real relief for their workers who are facing these cancer-causing conditions.

“We would like to remind the casino industry that they can do much more than adorn themselves in pink ribbons to combat breast cancer and even save lives. All they have to do is get rid of smoking inside casinos and stop forcing casino workers like Tammy to breathe in the toxic chemicals found in secondhand smoke. All of our lives depend on it.”

 
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Casino Employees Against Smoking's (Harmful) Effects (CEASE) is a group of thousands of casino dealers and other frontline gaming workers that formed after indoor smoking returned on July 4th and is fighting to permanently remove smoking from our workplaces.