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NJ Senate Approves Complete Ban On Smoking

NJ Casinos Ready To Outlaw Smoking Entirely

June 22, 2007

When the New Jersey Legislature reconvenes in November, another historic anti-smoking ballot will be before them. The State Senate has now sent through a bill that calls for the complete and total ban of cigarette smoke in Atlantic City casinos. The move will be a massive expansion of last year's anti-smoking law, which exempted the casino gaming floor from the smoking ban.

When the State of New Jersey passed the Indoor Clean Air Act of 2006, the casino industry in New Jersey could claim at least a partial victory on the matter. While shops, restaurants and other public areas were banned from allowing cigarette smoking, the law did provide for exemptions in cigar bars and casino gaming floors.

This compromise left 75% of the New Jersey casinos to be smoke free, while still providing some areas for the casino's smoking clientele to puff away while playing games of chance. The New Jersey State Senate now says that 75% is simply not enough, and is calling for a total across-the-board smoking ban in all New Jersey casinos. This is an unprecedented move that has gained the attention of critics and proponents alike.

The move followed a wave of complaints by anti-smoking groups and the casino employees who are forced to work in the smoking areas of the casino. The complaints are based around claims that the volume of cigarette smoke has increased substantially since all smokers are now confined to a single area, and that the increased volume of cigarette smoke puts these casino workers at a larger health risk.

"Thousands of workers each and every day are exposed to second-hand smoke," said State Senator Joseph Vitale, a Democrat from Middlesex. "Why should thousands of casino workers be subject to cancer and emphysema?"

Vitale is far from alone in his thinking. Democratic Senator John Adler was quoted as saying, "We're doing the right thing for public health. It's overdue. A year and a half late, but better late than not at all."

Other Senators and casino advocates do not agree with the outright ban on smoking. The casino industry has echoed last year's claims that a ban on smoking would cause a large scale reduction in casino revenues, which are currently estimated to be $5 Billion per year. When combined with a large increase in out of state competition to casinos in Pennsylvania, some politicians are worried that a complete smoking ban could be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Despite some objections, the New Jersey Senate, backed by the casino workers and the American Cancer Society, overwhelmingly passed the proposal for the smoking ban. The bill will now move to the lower house with they return to session in November. If all goes well, anti-smoking groups hope to see a full smoking ban in effect as early as April 2008.

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