As the Norfolk casino project inches closer to realization, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) hopes to convince the owners to abandon their plans for an indoor smoking area. To that end, the organization will hold a press conference where representatives will highlight the dangers of tobacco smoke.
CEASE Will Try to Convince the Casino to Abandon Its Smoking Ambitions
Set to take place tomorrow, October 30, CEASE’s press conference will try to persuade Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe to change course and prioritize their employees’ and customers’ safety.
While America generally prohibits indoor smoking, some states have loopholes for certain properties, such as casinos. This exception has irked critics and health advocates for years. However, those who get the worst of it, are the casino workers who get exposed to second-hand smoke.
While patrons can moderate their stay or go to a no-smoking area, casino employees do not have the same luxury. As a result, many workers have to deal with pervasive cigarette smoke for their entire shifts.
Casino employees in multiple states have tried to protest against indoor smoking, mostly to no avail. Most large casino businesses have been wary of the potential economic shifts banning smoking may have and have preferred to keep smoking, despite the activism. Some have even insisted that going smoke-free would prompt job cuts.
The Norfolk Casino project recently secured approval from all but one Norfolk councilor. The one councilor who didn’t approve the project was Andria McClellan who rejected the plans for indoor smoking.
Workers Will Have to Choose Between Their Health and a Paycheck
As it turns out, casino workers are not the only ones complaining about the indoor smoke. Many patrons have also voiced their displeasure with the poor indoor conditions in venues that allow smoking.
Patrons of the nearby Rivers Casino Portsmouth were very displeased with the poor ventilation and pervasive smoke and have previously voiced their frustration. This has reinforced CEASE’s belief that the Norfolk casino should give up on its smoking area plans.
Juana Wilson, a representative of CEASE Virginia, commented on the Norfolk casino matter, emphasizing that casino workers should not be forced to choose between their health and a paycheck. Unfortunately, this is exactly the situation Boyd Gaming and the Pamunkey tribe’s casino will put them in.
Casinos are the only places in Virginia where you can still smoke indoors, and casino workers bear the brunt of that decision. This casino has the potential to be a great addition to our vibrant downtown, but with 90% of potential guests who don’t smoke, this decision is shortsighted and outdated.
Juana Wilson
The press conference will take place outside the groundbreaking of the new Norfolk casino.
