Smoking Ban May Come To Atlantic City Casinos
Posted By admin , on April 17, 2008 at 9:22 AM .Category: Casinos
Atlantic City, New Jersey casinos are getting ready to follow other casinos around the world and ban smoking on the gambling floor of their eleven casinos if the proposed measure goes through. Players will be allowed to smoke in special lounges away from the slots and tables, but the floors would be off limits. The final vote takes places in two weeks and if it is approved will go into effect on October 15, 2008.
Previous attempts to pass the smoking ordinance in the city failed. Although the original proposal didn’t make it through, many casino workers have been lobbying for the government to try it again. City Hall was packed with disgruntled workers with ‘No Smoking’ signs. Dealers are sick of breathing in the smoke and with the economy tanking the way it is, employees don’t want to risk leaving their jobs for something safer.
Health concerns from the second hand smoke are one of the biggest points the employees are bringing up. Of course, the smokers are protesting the ban as well, saying that the casinos would lose their business to the slots and parlours in neighbouring states that allow smoking. Some city officials do not see business being harmed by smokers leaving and they are for economic redevelopment to improve the area. As one member of the council pointed out, “I don’t know how we’re developing people when we’re killing them at the same time.”
Players feel that they should not have to get up and walk away from the table just because they want a cigarette – especially if they are winning. Some have gone as far as saying that the employees don’t have to be there, that no one is forcing them to stay and do their jobs. This sentiment isn’t exactly fair to the employees because they should not have to put their health in jeopardy especially when the economy limits available jobs.
A total smoking ban was smacked down last year, but a compromise law was enacted. The compromise told casinos to build a ‘smoker’s room’ for smoking players that were equipped with special ventilation systems. Unfortunately, a deadline for these rooms to be in place was never specified and the law wasn’t enforced. Currently, the casinos in Atlantic City have no ‘smoker’s rooms’ even though they were required to build them by law.
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