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Research Center
The 2006 U.S. Surgeon General's Report, "The Health Consequences of Involuntary
Exposure to Secondhand Smoke," concluded that 100% smoke-free workplace policies
are the only effective way to eliminate secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace.
Compared to other workers, casino employees remain disproportionately exposed to
secondhand smoke at the workplace and unprotected by smoke-free workplace policies.
Health Effects
- Casino workers are at greater risk for lung and heart disease because of
secondhand smoke exposure.
- Casino workers in a "well-ventilated" casino had cotinine (metabolized nicotine)
levels 300-600% higher than in other smoking workplaces during a work shift.
- The average level of cotinine (metabolized nicotine) among nonsmokers increased
by 456% and the average levels of the carcinogen NNAL increased by 112% after
four hours of exposure to secondhand smoke in a smoke-filled casino with a
"sophisticated" ventilation system.
- Smoke-filled casinos have up to 50 times more cancer-causing particles in the
air than highways and city streets clogged with diesel trucks in rush hour traffic.
After going smoke-free, indoor air pollution virtually disappears in the
same environments.
- Casino employees occupationally exposed to secondhand smoke suffer from
increased risk of DNA-damage, which then leads to even greater risk of developing
cancers and heart disease.
- A survey of 559 London casino employees found that 95% of polled workers
reported the presence of sensory irritation symptoms (i.e., runny nose, sneezing,
or nose irritation, red eyes) and 84% with respiratory symptoms (i.e., cough,
shortness of breath, bring up of phlegm). These measurements are significantly
higher than that reported in similar studies of bar workers.
- After the implementation of Ontario , Canada 's Smoke-free Indoor Air Law,
levels of the carcinogen NNAL were reduced by 52% in nonsmoking casino
employees and cotinine (metabolized nicotine) levels fell by 98%.8
Judge Says Secondhand Smoke Let To Cancer
Published: Feb. 13, 2008 at 11:41 AM
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. , Feb. 13 (UPI) -- A judge ruled in favor of a New Jersey casino
dealer claiming 10 years of exposure to second-hand cigarette smoke contributed
to her lung cancer. Judge Cosmo Giovinazzi, a New Jersey workers' compensation
judge, issued a preliminary ruling Monday awarding Kam Wong roughly $150,000 for
lost wages and medical expenses because second-hand smoke materially contributed
to her lung cancer, The Press of Atlantic City (N.J.) reported Wednesday. Wong, her
husband and none of her family members smoked, nor was she exposed to significant
amounts of cigarette smoke outside of work, her attorney, Lawrence Mintz said.
Wong worked as a dealer at the baccarat and poker tables at Claridge Casino Hotel
since 1990 and developed lung cancer, losing an entire lung in 2000. She is no longer
able to work, Mintz said. The judge found the insurance provider for Claridge, New
Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Company, responsible for funding any future cancer
treatment Wong may need, The Press of Atlantic City reported. "It is slowly but
surely becoming generally accepted that secondhand smoke is hazardous to your
health," Mintz said. Casino officials had no comment in the case.