Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Published Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 10:41 a.m.
Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009 | 2:32 p.m.
Related Document (.pdf)
Sun Coverage
A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in Las Vegas Wednesday against Harrah's Entertainment Inc. and Caesars Palace, alleging Caesars isn't doing enough to protect casino workers from second-hand tobacco smoke.
The lead plaintiff is Tomo Stephens, who says she was a blackjack dealer for about 20 years at Harrah's-owned Caesars on the Las Vegas Strip and quit her job June 16 on the advice of her doctor.
The federal lawsuit says pre-cancerous cells were found in her stomach and that over the years she was exposed to second-hand smoke causing irritation to her eyes, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath, dizziness, wheezing or tightness in the chest, headache, nausea and ingestion of cancer-causing chemicals and toxins.
The lawsuit seeks to represent as a class all former, current and future Caesars employees exposed to unsafe levels of second-hand smoke.
The lawsuit alleges that while Las Vegas competitors such as the Bellagio and Palazzo have taken significant steps to deal with second-hand smoke, about all that Caesars has done is make some of its poker rooms smoke-free.
"Despite overwhelming scientific evidence, Caesars Palace has failed to protect the health and welfare of many of its employees who must perform their jobs while breathing in second-hand smoke," the suit charges.
Harrah's attorneys had not seen the lawsuit and the company had no comment on it, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
In the past, Harrah's officials have said they would consider a nationwide casino smoking ban as long as it covered all gaming venues.
The gaming industry generally has expressed concern about the issue, but individual casinos have not been inclined to implement smoking bans on their casino floors for competitive reasons.
In the suit against Caesars, the property specifically is accused of encouraging its customers to smoke. Employees walk the gaming floor selling cigars and cigarettes and Caesars provides free cigarettes to gamblers, the suit charges.
The property has not designated part of the casino floor smoke-free and lacks an adequate ventilation system, the suit says.
It alleges employees are forbidden from complaining about second-hand smoke and dealers cannot ask smokers to blow smoke away from their tables or move their ashtrays, the suit alleges.
And while Harrah's operates a health and wellness center for its Las Vegas-area employees, informational pamphlets detailing the dangers of second-hand smoke that used to be available at the center have been removed, the suit alleges.
The suit does not seek to recover damages for employees' alleged health problems related to tobacco smoke.
Rather, it seeks an order requiring Caesars Palace to take "reasonable measures" to protect its employees from second-hand smoke and that Harrah's make informational pamphlets detailing the dangers of second-hand smoke available at its health and wellness center.
The suit was filed by attorneys with the Chicago law firm KamberEdelson as well as by Las Vegas attorney Marc Cook of the firm Bailus Cook & Kelesis.
KamberEdelson is pursuing various class-action lawsuits around the country including one filed recently in Las Vegas claiming consumers are harmed by the long-running practice of taxi and limousine drivers steering men to strip clubs that pay commissions to the drivers.
Wednesday's lawsuit notes that Caesars Palace was included in a study released in May by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health confirming casino dealers had traces of a tobacco-specific carcinogen in their urine.
The results from 124 casino dealers at Bally’s, Caesars Palace and Paris Las Vegas -- all Harrah's properties -- were expected to back up the argument that casinos implement smoking bans.
The NIOSH report concluded: "Non-poker casino dealers at Bally’s, Paris, and Caesars Palace casinos are exposed to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) in the workplace air, and have absorbed an ETS-specific component into their bodies, as demonstrated by detectable levels of urinary NNAL (a known lung carcinogen). The increase in NNAL in the urine of most non-poker casino dealers at the end of their work shift demonstrates that non-poker casino dealers are exposed to a known carcinogen in the tobacco smoke at the casinos. Non-poker casino dealers reported a higher prevalence of respiratory symptoms than to unexposed workers, but the results were not statistically significant. The best means of eliminating workplace exposure to ETS is to ban all smoking in the casinos."
Looks like a valid action to me. I hope they win and the industry if forced to go smoke free.
Seems like a stretch to me. I worked as a supervisor in construction my whole life, and now my hearing is diminished, due the clamor of jackhammers, backhoes, and the like. But I had a choice. I could have quit, I could have taken a different position. I stayed, and life turned out OK, even if it's a little quieter. This seems like just another PIA lawsuit from someone looking for a settlement, and a quick and easy buck or two. Rot in hell, bi*ch.
This is a load of crap. She took a job as a dealer in a casino full on knowing that she would be exposed to cigarette smoke. If she didn't want to be exposed to the cigarette smoke, don't be a dealer. Plan and simple. I hope she loses her law suit and is forces to pay the Harrah's legal fees as well. Whats next, lifeguards in California suing because they are exposed to the sun which causes skin cancer?
Denro,
Smoke free casino's aren't doing well. In anti-smoking california, casinos have built separate and closed off smoke free areas and they are not performing well at all. One casino even removed its enclosed smoke free gaming.
In every casino, there should be at least two smoke free tables. Even people who play and don't smoke, the smoke is bothersome and annoying.
She will win this case. Or she will be getting a nice settlement to take care of her chemo that she may need.
Some of you are missing the point of the law suit. The point is, many jobs have inherent risks, and if your employer doesn't protect your or give you the means to protect yourself, they open themselves up for a law suit.
For example, nednougat mentions he was exposed to loud machinery. That's part of the job and he knew the risks and so did his employer. But, if his employer didn't provide hearing protection or worse, they didn't allow him to wear his own hearing protection, it could be claimed that they didn't do enough to protect him.
It's because of crap like this that organizations like OSHA exist. Your employer doesn't care about you, they care about their bottom line.
Rob-L,
The casinos provide a ventalation and filtration air system. What else should they provide? Scuba masks and air tanks?
If Harrah's implements a ban on smoking in all of their properties, business declines even further, and more employees lose their jobs because of the decline in revenue, can those newly unemployed then file a class action suit against Ms. Stephens and all other plaintiffs for loss of wages/benefits? We all have a choice in life and Ms. Stephens could have chosen another career or employer.
It's a nuisance when you sit down and play blackjack for example and here comes someone lighting up next to you. There is no choice to but to stop playing and leave that table. It's just an inconvenience to be dodging smokers when in Las Vegas.
I blame Harry Reid and President Barack "Don't go to Vegas" Obama.
:)
Caesars is big enough to have one of their whole gaming areas smoke free. Have they done that? If not, why not?
Maybe this requires a federal law. Democrats, get cracking!
"Wednesday's lawsuit notes that Caesars Palace was included in a study released in May by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health confirming casino dealers had traces of a tobacco-specific carcinogen in their urine."
Las Vegas Sun FAIL.
The report stated that there was NOT a statistically significant difference between employees in the smoking and non-smoking section at Ceasars.
http://www.writeonnevada.com/2009/05/ant...
give me a break, more people are killed by second hand drinking[automobile accidents] than 2nd hand smoke. here in ny you can buy a 12 pack of beer for price of pack of smokes. i believe in global warming, not so sure of 2nd hand smoke. also did anyone ever sue the city for quality of air in your valley. i lived there in 70's and 80's, now i can't see strip from green valley's casino parking garage.
I think Harrah's will have a food defense due to the employee's implied assumption of the risk.
This is crazy....she knew full well about smoke..and continued to work there!!! If you don't like the smoke get out of the Casino!!! One more thing to take down the casinos.Unreal!!ALL of you non-smoking nutjobs should stay away from Casinos..or go to the one that are non-smoking..leave our smoking casinos alone.Stop trying to change the world to accomodate you...enough!!!
How can smoking be so easily defended when it is one of the leading causes of early death and causes cancer?
well now comes the dealers there are 3 things for a gambler dirnking smokeing and gambleing if thay dont like and then thay need to find a nother job but thay like it when the player is tipping were does it all stop i bet thay dont complaine about there cars thay drive so lets do a test the dealers that complain we put them in a grage with there car and i will go into a grage with my cigretts and we will wait for a hlaf hour and open the garages and see who is alive i rest my case
"How can smoking be so easily defended when it is one of the leading causes of early death and causes cancer?"
Because adults are free to make choices about where they work, and because tobacco is a legal product restricted to usage by adults.
Speaking as a never-smoker whose father died of lung cancer, this whole thing is absurd. Tobacco is a legal product, and it's time the country moved to either make tobacco illegal, or to stop the absurdity of trying to regulate its usage on private property.
Alternatively, maybe I'll go get a job as a firefighter and then sue because I have to be in "exceedingly warm environments that may pose a danger to my heath... particularly if I myself catch on fire. Further, I don't much like carrying all that equipment. It's heavy. Can't anyone do something about that?"
Remember the Silver City Casino, which was non-smoking in the 1990s? Not only is the long-time Strip casino closed ... the building is physically gone. Just saying.
I hear you Mr. Reza, maybe it is time the country moved to make it illegal.
It killed my Father too at the young age of 55. But in the fifties and sixties, they didn't know any better because the tobacco companies were still keeping their secrets.
I lost one of my best friends a few years ago, and about a week before the lung cancer took his life, he said to me he wished he had quit smoking.
I agree overall it's a difficult issue with many valid facets to the arguments on all sides.
Okay, so then all of you who think that this is a bogus lawsuit, how do you defend an employer who knows that SHS can cause cancer who passes out free smokes to their players at the tables so they can light up and blow the toxins in the employees faces? Not to mention that the only area on the entire property that a customer can smoke is on the gaming floor? Not to mention that the employees who must endure the cigar and cigarette smoke who maybe smoke themselves must walk outside to partake in their habit if they want to have a smoke? It's okay for the casino to provide free smokes to the customers, but it's not okay for the employees to openly smoke themselves when on break? The firefighter argument is the dumbest...what if the fire department was setting the fires and forcing the firefighters to go into harms way 24 hours a day? They wouldn't be liable? Well, that is what the casino operators are doing. Also, there is a device out there that helps control the SHS on tables, it's called an Air-Rac, but the casinos refuse to provide the protection because of "cost". They are not doing all they can do to make the work environment "safe and healthy" as required by OSHA. There is only one place that people can smoke in public in a building in Nevada...casinos. I guess casino workers lives are expendable?
I hope Tomo wins big to force these money grabbing bastards to care about people rather than their bottom line.
Casinos are not only not doing enough to protect employees but visitors as well. I'm one of those smoke dodgers -- having to leave tables, bars, etc. But with 6:5 blackjack, monopolies on the strip, a clear drop in service and poor maintenance of properties and all the other stuff going on it probably won't matter to me much longer anyways.
Denro,
Let's ban cars and anything oil related. Exposure to benezene which is emitted from car exhaust and also from gasoline while refueling is a highly toxic carcinogen. And there is no safe level of exposure
Cite - World Health Orgnanization http://www.euro.who.int/document/aiq/5_2...
vegasdealer, quit your job if it bothers you. not all jobs are cushy jobs. it comes with its risk, you know the risk, yet you still work there. even with those Air-Rac, you will still be exposed to it anyways. there is nothing safe about being around second hand smoke regardless of whether there is a filter or not. get real
James,
Just to clarify, just because something is legal, doesn't mean it can be used or consumed at will, to the detriment of others. Certain venues have already 'banned' smoking...perhaps because it is harmful and disrespectful to others?
Try lighting up a smoke in court, or on the airplane, or while on the treadmill at LVAC or Gold's.
One cannot consume alcohol anywhere they wish, like in your car (although I do miss the old open container law that allowed us to drive down the strip with a keg in the back of our truck back in 1990). Or in the parking lot of 7-11 for that matter. There are many examples.
As for patrons leaving businesses that ban smoking, I am in LA-Ventura county ever other weekend and trust me, the bars and restaurants are as full as ever. And (shocker), nobody seems that bothered to go outside and smoke. In fact, some places have special patio areas and the like setup just for the buttheads, complete with dedicated servers. It seems to work very well, nobody feels inconvenienced at all.
JahReb,
No body is forced to take a job at a smoking establishment just as no one is forced to enter it as a customer.
If Ceasars did open up a non-smoking section, and they did lose money because of this, I would expect the dealers in that section to make less and I would expect them to not complain.
and how do you know they aren't bothered to go outside? Do you read minds?
I'd also like to thank the Sun for adding the reports conclusion which stated that the differences between workers in the smoking and non smoking section were not statistically significant.
I still find it funny that the report recommended banning smoking even though it failed to prove that second hand smoke was harmful in this instance.
I am a long time ex-smoker and a lifetime Californian. I am the double whammy on the issue of being against smoking.
I've eveyone would mind there own business people would be fine. Smokers are offended because non-smokers are rude and nasty to them and non-smokers are offended because the smoke smell bothers them. There is no compromise, you should avoid entering an environment that you know contains certain characteristcs which may offend you.
Really?? Someone works at a casino for decades and doesn't know that the second hand smoke is bad for you? The funny thing is that I wonder if this person has ever smoked?
"Casinos are not only not doing enough to protect employees but visitors as well. I'm one of those smoke dodgers -- having to leave tables, bars, etc"
The above argument, or statement which ever you choose, is baloney. EVERYONE THAT WALKS INTO A CASINO KNOWS THERE IS CIGARETTE SMOKE. It's not as if the casino goes out of its way to force people to smoke and have the smoke purposely bother the non-smokers. YOU KNOW IT IS THERE!!! And I myself don't like smoke blowing in my direction when I am gambling - but hell - what do I expect? I'm in a casino, not in Church. It basically is the only public place anyone can smoke anymore; it all goes together - the gambling, liquor and cigarettes. If I or any non-smokers wants a smoke free environment, I guess a casino isn't the place to be. Even when I did smoke - I was always aware of who was sitting next to me before I lit up a cigarette. Sometimes, I just got up and moved; other times when I would see someone holding a tissue over their nose or making a Broadway production of waving the smoke away, well you can bet I purposely lit up a cigarette because WHAT DID THEY EXPECT? It is a casino. So to those "smoke dodgers" - sorry. And the bigger and newer casinos have incredible air flow and ventilation so the smoke isn't as bad as let's say one of the old casinos on Fremont St. where you don't need a cigarette to get that nicotine high!
PS BTW - Because I don't do it anymore, and sometimes I really miss that smoke while playing, I have noticed a lot less people smoke in casinos then they did several years ago, so it has gotten better, at least at the slot machines.
Well said, PeterGun.
Peter Gun is right on.
Put me on the jury, I will clean out the casino.
I hope next customers sue. Smoking is disgusting.
Patrick may even agree that a smoking ban in public places (those not owned by individuals or corporations) would be the right of the collective owners (voters). But in those places that are privately owned (individuals or corporations) the owners should be able to set the smoking rules.
Vegas Casinos are one of the last bastions in NA to still allow smoking. This could be the beginning of the end. But for a "ban" to come into effect...it would have to be a complete ban to all properties to ease any "competitive" concerns. While I am now a non-smoker...I seldom have a problem with the smoke atmosphere...most casinos have excellent ventilation systems. It is just if you get stuck between two cigar smokers that it can cause you to run for fresh air. The times they are a changing.
I don't know how it ever came to be that smokers could smoke anywhere they wanted to and now we have to fight to take that away from them.
The best analogy I've heard in regards to smoking is this: Suppose I walk into a bar and take out a bottle of very stinky cologne. I spray myself repeatedly and heavily. I keep doing it until the person next to me starts coughing. I keep doing it. The bartender starts coughing. How long before I'm asked to leave?
Cologne is perfectly legal and since it is, it shouldn't bother anyone else around me while I get my fix. Sounds stupid, right?
That's the mentality of smokers everywhere. I can do whatever I want, wherever I want, and if you don't like it, get out of my way.
I hope this person wins this case. Tobacco Smoke is a known health hazard. It causes cancer and death. If you don't beleive me, go to this URL: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/se... .
I think that it is time for casinos should join the smoke free movement. Many restaurants, bars, jazz clubs, bowling alleys, hotels, motels, and other places went smoke free and it is wonderful being able to go into a place and breathe clean air.
Even some casinos are 100% smoke free, such as Oceans Eleven Casino (Oceanside, CA), Taos Mountain Casino (Taos, New Mexico), Lucky Lady Casino (San Diego, CA). The Taos Mountain Casino did it voluntarly and is doing very well (and there is no statewide smoking ban in New Mexico when Taos went 100% smoke free!). After all, I know many (myself included) would go to Las Vegas more often if it was smoke free.
Numerous other casinos offer non-smoking areas. In Atlantic City, NJ, at least 75% of casino gaming floors must be non-smoking. Harrah's Laughlin has a non-smoking casino area in Nevada that is separate from the main casino. Harrahs also offers non-smoking slot machine areas at their Rincon location (Valley Center, CA). Foxwoods (Ledyard, CT), Mohegan Sun (Uncasville, CT), Barona Valley Ranch (Lakeside, CA), Viejas Casino (Alpine, CA), also are examples of casinos with non-smoking gaming areas.
I think that the best option would be for casinos to go entirely smoke free on the gaming floor. Maybe they could sell nicotine patches or Nicorette gum to help reduce lossed play time due to smoke breaks. If they wanted to compromise, maybe they could offer an outdoor smoking area, or create a "smoking lounge" that is enclosed, separately venilated, and close to the gaming area similar to how some airports do it. If they claim there is going to be revenue loss, maybe they could do some more creative marketing aimed at non-smokers who might come more often because it is now smokefree.
have non smoking casinos - all of them - they can take a smoke break outside - but the only thing is they will be hanging around the outside doors smoking - that wont look good - unless they make a place for them to smoke outside. I dont like it at the 3 card poker table - usually there is only 1 table - so you cant get a non smoking - when i have been there a while playin and then someone sits down to smoke - most of the smoke is just burning...
I'm working with a Japanese company to produce a fully robotic dealer, and box-man, then we can eliminate all card dealers. Then you won't have a job, ha ha. and I get all the tokes.
Produce the 'smoking gun' - you know - the one held to the head forcing a person to work there - right? Didn't think so.............just another person not willing to take responsibility for the consequences of the CHOICES THEY MADE and now looking to get rich off their poor decison making. Throw it out - it's just another frivolous lawsuit.
VegasDealer - go get a better education and get a better job - if things are so tough at the gaming tables then why are you there - is it because of the TIPS??? Is it because you're not qualified to do anything ELSE???? Oh, you are ?well then GO DO IT.
Vegas will never stop smoking , these people who gamble & drink seem to smoke 10 times more than they normally would .The real culprit is the tobacco companies who allow this cancer causing drug to flow through casinos . When you have to support your family its kind of hard to quit your job . Vegas is nasty & money hungry
Smokers
Did you ever smell yourself ? Well you smell, your clothes , your breath & so on. Its like having a bad case of B.O. Half the people defending this are smokers the other half are not. I hate smoke first hand , second hand . so I will stay away
The best means of eliminating workplace exposure to ETS is to ban all smoking in the casinos."???
Get real for god sake! This world has gone completely mad and I'm starting to believe that there is not a single person around that has a brain left!
I'll tell you the real solution to this whole damn tobacco problem inside casinos! The first thing all the casinos should do is fire all non smoking employees or at least make them sign a contract before getting hired that they will never sue the casino for any smoke related issues that affect there health in the future! The next thing the casinos should do is to hire from now on, only employees that smoke! In case the word has not gotten out, it just so happens that there are countless millions of people that have no jobs in the country and would love to work in a casino!
DUHHH! So what's so difficult?
I don't smoke anymore, but I did smoke for 60 years and it really pissed me off when all these non smoking jerks started all this second hand smoke bull crap! I smoked 2 packs a day and it never killed me, but the money that these suits raised the taxes up to on cigarettes is what finally made my wife and I decide to quit.
My grand father died at the age of 91, still smoking and guess what finally did him in? NOT tobacco smoke, it was the damn smog alert that there was on that day in the San Fernando Valley in California that he did not know about! He was out in his garden pulling weeds when the smog was so bad that day visibility was probably less than a 14 mile back in 1978.
Have to leave for work now, I've had all I can take!!
In the long run, the court cases will cause the casinos or the legislature to ban smoking inside the casino. Then the casino will become like the airport where you have to run through the gauntlet of smokers to get inside the building. It won't be health concerns that make the casinos buckle, it will be the money.
Smokers are addicts with a disgusting habit and a death wish. I don't know anyone with a milligram of sense who continues to smoke. I'd rather sit next to someone on heroin.
I just can't believe the arguments suggesting the dealer find a new job. How insane is that? Should flight attendants have been forced to get new jobs when people smoked on planes? What about the pilots? Are you going to suggest they go back to college and get better paying jobs? No. Fix the real problem. Deadly smoke. People have the right to smoke in their homes. I'm not so sure about cars since it seems that I can't drive down the road anymore without witnessing somebody throwing out a cigarrette butt as if that's not litter. But to claim that people who are exposed to deadly elements find new jobs is beyond comprehension. Makes me think it's not the dealer who needs to go back to school.
Hey Peter Gun
"It should be Federal Law, No smoking in public buildings"
It IS a law!!! Casinos are NOT public buildings; they are privately owned.
It is disappointing that this whole issue evolved into people judging each other. This lawsuit isn't about making personal attacks on smokers and non-smokers. It all comes down to personal accountability; where we choose to live, shop, eat, and work and how we are responsible for the outcomes of our choices. Lucky for us, we live in a society that provides choices. Why does personal choice have to cost someone else money? Everyone is talking about taking down those big casinos. Please stop to consider that other people work in those big bad casinos. Not just those "victims" that are suing Cesar's. Their jobs provide for them and their families. Do we have to go out of our ways to CREATE higher unemployment in Las Vegas?
Maya Angelou said, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude." In this case, if you can't change it, change jobs. Not a whole new career, maybe just move to a different casino that will meet your health requirements. The casino of your choice.
The problem of this lawsuit is Tomo is suing only one location where she was exposed to second hand smoke. How many other casinos or bars did she visit? How many of her friends did she go to lunch with and sat across the table where smoking was going on? How many" well you get the point. Yes second hand tobacco smoke is dangerous (ETS Report http://www.afslasvegas.com/Brochures/Wha...) and so are the many other things we are exposed to every day like break dust, rubber/oils from the asphalt or diesel exhaust fumes (http://www.afslasvegas.com/Diesel-Brain....) when we drive on the freeway to work. How many common products was Tomo exposed to in everyday life that cause poor air quality (http://www.afslasvegas.com/Building-IAQ....). I am not saying Tomo doesn't need medical care, we all hope & pray that she gets treatment and gets well. Suing your employer for what the tobacco companies put in tobacco products is not the answer. --Mack.
This is a three sided argument no doubt. As a "former" smoker I am the last one to throw a stone. There are many businesses who have 2nd hand some or other and they too are valid. I remember when the Veteran Administration started their NO smoking policy and built outdoor shelters . WOW the ventilation was so EXTREMLY poor, even the smokers wouldn't use them. I guess what I'm saying is, we all have choices.Whether we use them or not...we have choices
However, we don't all have choices. I don't have the choice to go into a smoke free casino property or I would. Give me that choice and I don't care if everybody in the casino next to me smokes. Then let the dealers who don't care about smoke work in one casino and those who do in another. Same for the bartenders, cocktail waitresses and restaurant workers. Choices? We all need more choices than whether or not to avoid life because of smoke. Gets back to what I said before about airline systems. I don't get the logic that if they allow smoking on flights that I then have the choice to not fly.
Just because you find something disgusting doesn't mean you should inflict your opinion on someone else. I find fat women in bathing suits disgusting, but I don't vocalize my opinon or make rude comments or gestures. Each casino has the opportunity to offer smoke free gaming, they choose not to. Maybe one of the casinos will go smoke free and they could potentially capture a niche market, but smoke free areas at casino's in California are produce a smaller revenue stream than anticipated.
BAN smoking from casinos? Are you Vegans all a bunch of whack jobs? Your town would DIE faster than the present path it's on,with non smoking casinos.I have heard so many ludicrous statements in my day,,but NEVER one so Idiotic as this.
stphinkle posted a list of several smoke-free casinos- lightfoot, if you wanted to enter a smoke-free casino, you can always choose to gamble in one of those. Southern California is not that far away. We always have choices in life. If you choose not to leave Las Vegas to gamble, it's still your choice.
I'm curious, did airlines ban smoking simply because of second hand smoke, or could it have also been a safety issue? It's hard to exit a plane that is mid-flight when there is a fire.
No plane ever crashed because of a passenger smoking....
"I'm curious, did airlines ban smoking simply because of second hand smoke, or could it have also been a safety issue? It's hard to exit a plane that is mid-flight when there is a fire"
It was because of the health issue. You've never been on a plane when smoking was still allowed?
It was gross -- and I used to smoke on those flights! The smoking section was in the back of the plane - big deal! The smoke would still permeate the whole cabin. And the air was recycled throughout; that's why when I fly today and someone sneezes or starts coughing - I cringe because you KNOW those germs are gonna get you! There is no place to hide!!!
Stop the sale of alcohol as well...it also is a major killer. As well, don't allow pedestrian traffic on the strip as multiple people are killed yearly jaywalking...I am a non-smoker however I understand the consequences of a smoking establishment. When the law states it is illegal, then I will support it. Until then, suck it up. Um, not the smoke, just your opinion!
Yes casinos are privately owned but so are restaurants and bars and stores - you can't smoke in them in Nevada. And newman2 I think that is the point - some people want a law against smoking in casinos. It happened to the airlines and all the smokers gnashed their teeth but it happened. It will happen in casinos eventually and one day, someone like kimmie will question why it was banned. I'll bet there are many, many travelers who don't remember flying in planes when smoking was allowed. The casinos are just one of the last holdouts. And that is because of the money. Yes, of course they worry no one will go there if they can't smoke and they'll lose money. But they'll lose even more money when the courts uphold class action suits from the employees and so they'll cave. I'm betting on 10 years. Anyone want the over/under?
We all are aware about the danger of smoking and second hand smoke. We don't have to work in a casino to get second hand smoke and also we have a choice to work or not to work in places like these. For every dealer that quits, there are hundreds wanting to take their place because they get good compensation, a lot more than most college educated workers. She didn't complain when she was pocketing the fat tips that she got. To me, it's just suing to rip off the deep pocketed casinos by the dealer and her greedy lawyer.
It didn't take long (it never does) for the Vegas Haters to open their mouths, did it?
The point is: The government has no business telling private business what legal activities can or cannot be done inside those businesses. Just because government HAS done this doesn't make it proper.
There are a lot of ways to die, and legislation cannot eliminate them. Adults are free to choose where they spend their money, and NOBODY has a "right" to visit or work at a privately owned business and then dictate how that business operates, particularly when we are talking about a legal product.
Next up: Prohibition!
If you want to get rid of any legal product the simple way is to tax it out of existence (like is being done now).
It is a tough call.
One hand there will be a few casino workers and casino regulars that will die early deaths because consumption of frequent second hand smoke.
On the other hand, there will be 10,000's of jobs that will be lost if smoking is banned in the casinos.
"If you want to get rid of any legal product the simple way is to tax it out of existence (like is being done now)."
The mob jumps for joy each time the Democrats, like Ms. Taxus (Titus) votes for tax increases on tobacco, beer, wine and spirits. There black market sales of those goods up and their price for those goods up, too.
I wondered how long it would be before someone sued for SHS. Has anyone taken a good look at this woman's symptons, coughing, sore throat, shortness of breath etc., sounds like the new Pig flu to me. Ingestion of cancer-causing toxins can be attributed to many things in the environment, home etc., (has she checked her deodrant)but no it's got to be SHS even though the WHO that carried out a 7 year study PROVED that SHS was NOT harmful to non-smokers. But of course those non-smokers that don't like the smell and complain they had to wash their hair & clothes every time they went near a smoker jumped on the SHS claim like leeches. I wonder do the ones complaining about having to wash not bother now that smokers are banned from almost everywhere.
A claim like this was made by a UK woman, she took a case to the European Court of Justice, citing her husband was ill because of SHS, sensibly for a change, it was slung out. But in the USA, well that's a diffent matter, this woman will probably be held up as a martyr for the cause with the anti smoking propaganda movement out in force when it comes to court, banners, candles, flowers, the whole works.
Now smokers may be a hated breed, but not that hated, they have their uses, Obama, will again raise tobacco tax to fund his health reforms, smokers will be paying for the health of the kids of those people that hate smokers.
Isn't life grand when one section of society can turn on another just because they don't like what they do. Socrates said he/she would rather sit next to someone taking heroin, figures, he/she probably paratakes of it themself, hope it isn't smoked because of the secondhand fumes.
I used to get really angry at all the anti smoking comments, now I just laugh because I think most of them are just pathetic, sad individuals with nothing better to moan about.
Oh the woman suing forgot to include an in-growing toenail, surely SHS is the cause of this too, after all every ill on the planet id attributed to SHS or smokers.
And before the anti-smokers start campaigning for casinos to all be non-smoking take heed of the UK, thousands of pubs, clubs, bingos halls etc., have closed down since the smoking ban experiment was introduced, thousands of jobs & livelihoods have been lost, is this what you want, everyone to be out of work except non-smokers.
This ban may suit the non-smokers, but wake up people this isn't about health, never has been, it's about money and control. Big Pharma are making a lot of money out of this with their smoking cessation products, which are next to useless & some very harmful. Stan Glanzt of ASH, that wonderful fake charity, also makes a lot of money from this ban, they have shares in GlaxoSmithKline. It's like every other thing that's being touted by big corporations, it's about money & control. Wake up antis because without a doubt it'll be your turn next.
If you want to control or band smoking there is only one way to do it, push the current laws that are in place. A business does have to provide proper air quality and everything is listed from dust to poison. It is not just smoking that damages health. Have you noticed the odors in this town? Once we have "IAQ Checkups" in place then we know if any businesses pass local air quality laws, including nail salons. You can find these limits of dust and other exposure limits on the EPA web site. This will also force those business who don't care if the air filters are sealed or not to start sealing them to improve the air quality.
I am not about problems, but solutions. This is an easy fix. Say you have a 4 floor casino. Smoke rises so make the top 2 floors smoking rooms on different air conditioning system units than the non-smoking 1st 2 floors. Put increased oxygen in the non-smoking floors. Casino save money by just putting incresed oxygen in the non-smoking floors. I don't think the smoking floors would care about the oxygen to much since they are putting smoke in their lungs, already. Relax, smokers just telling the truth. Then, all the dealers and employees that smoke work the top 2 smoke floors and the dealers and employees that don't smoke work the non-smoking 2 bottom floors. Then the law-suits stop and everybody is happy especially the casinos. Casinos, know when you add more oxygen to the room players have more energy and if they have more energy they stay longer. That also solves the problem of them feeling that non-smoking rooms are less profitable. Plus, if dealers and employees want to rotate between smoking and non-smoking floors they can. Give them an option. If workers get sick with any condition that affects their upper respiratory system or sinuses then let them work on the non-smoking floors until they recover or they will be sick for a long time working on the smoking floors and contemplate sueing the casino for health issues. Have the casino do employee signed questionnaires of their work enviroments quarterly and you will find out problems of the work envirnments way before somebody is actually going to sue. Be proactive to problems instead of reactive to them is my motto. Problem solved!