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Vegas Casino Employees Surveyed About Secondhand Smoke

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LAS VEGAS—A recent survey of casino employees revealed a significant concern that secondhand smoke inhalation is causing serious illness and disease. Smoke-Free Gaming of America and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 721, a union comprised of table games dealers, collaborated in reaching out to 55 Las Vegas casino employees to find out if breathing secondhand smoke was a health concern.  
 
According to the survey results:
 
•    94 percent indicated the air is unhealthy for them to breathe;
•    89 percent want their casino to be totally smoke free;
•    80 percent do not smoke;
•    79 percent have worked more than 10 years in the casino industry;
•    63 percent of the respondents are male, 37 percent are female;
•    62 percent are over the age of 50; and
•    55 percent indicated their health has been affected by secondhand smoke exposure.
 
Employees who indicated they have health problems reported having a variety of symptoms and conditions ranging from burning eyes, sore throats, allergies, sinusitis, asthma, chronic bronchitis, chest pain, high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, heart attacks and lung cancer. Many of the employees also believe that a significant number of coworkers died from secondhand-smoke related illness and disease.

Several gaming companies own and operate smoke-free casinos in other states and countries. In August, Caesars Entertainment opened the $442 million smoke-free Horseshoe Baltimore Casino in Maryland. MGM Resorts has begun construction of a $925 million smoke-free casino also in Maryland just outside of the Washington D.C. area. There are over 500 state-regulated casinos that are smoke free, mostly by state law.

Secondhand smoke contains 7,000 chemicals and chemical compounds, 70 of which are cancer causing. Because ventilation systems cannot eliminate exposure of secondhand smoke, ventilation experts recommend the complete elimination of indoor smoking for the health and safety of employees and the public.

Go to Smoke-Free Gaming of America.

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