Secondhand smoke is making Atlantic City workers like me sick
I have been diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. I may never know the exact cause of my illness, I can’t help but wonder if decades of exposure to secondhand smoke played a role.
I have worked in casinos ever since I was 18 years old. In that time, I have been able to work my way up to become a dealer supervisor at one of the top casinos in Atlantic City. There are many parts of my job that I enjoy. I love meeting new people and speaking with guests from all over the country.
But since smoking is allowed indoors at Atlantic City casinos, I breathe in secondhand smoke every shift. At times, it makes the work unbearable. I have often worked at tables where guests would chain-smoke for hours and blow smoke directly in my face.
It is easily the most horrible, degrading part of our job.
After working in casinos for nearly 40 years, I was recently diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. While I’m not sure we will ever know the exact cause of my illness, I can’t help but wonder if it would have happened had I not worked in casinos — or better yet, if casinos didn’t force me to breathe in secondhand smoke all throughout my shifts.
In 2006, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Smoke-Free Air Act, prohibiting smoking in almost all workplaces and spaces open to the public — except in Atlantic City casinos.
Since then, the general public has continued to learn about the harmful effects that smoking and secondhand smoke have on our health. Significantly fewer Americans smoke today than in 2006, and for many of them, the very thought of walking into a public establishment that still allows smoking indoors is now unfathomable.
We know that tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure kill nearly half a million Americans every year, and the U.S. surgeon general has concluded that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
“I have often worked at tables where guests would chain-smoke for hours and blow smoke directly in my face.”
And yet, 16 years after the Smoke-Free Air Act, New Jersey casinos continue to allow smoking on up to 25% of the casino floor. This means that thousands of casino workers like me are forced to breathe in secondhand smoke on the job.
That has consequences. One study that sampled air pollution levels at casinos found that half had levels that could cause cardiovascular disease after short exposures. Meanwhile, casino executives kick their feet up in their smoke-free offices, far away from the gaming floor, and complain that smoking bans will cost them too much money.
That is why my coworkers and I have been raising our voices and calling on our elected leaders in Trenton to finally close the casino smoking loophole and get rid of smoking inside casinos once and for all. Dozens of legislators in the State Senate and General Assembly, Democrats and Republicans, are cosponsoring A2151 and S264, bills that would end the 16-year-old casino smoking loophole. Gov. Phil Murphy has also repeatedly said he’d sign these bills when they reach his desk.
» READ MORE: Smoking bans are no longer a threat to casino revenue, report says
As I continue my cancer treatment, I’m currently on medical leave. The ability to breathe clean, safe air during this time has helped me realize the harm my coworkers and I face at work. Now I’m terrified to go back to my job in a smoking environment.
My situation is not unique — I’ve heard of other casino workers who have been forced to take medical leave to treat chronic respiratory issues or cardiovascular disease and have reported a dramatic improvement in their condition while they were away from the secondhand smoke in casinos. Unfortunately, many of these issues and conditions flare up as soon as we’re back at work.
My coworkers and I are not just numbers on a fact sheet, or nameless robots who deal out cards. In fact, we’re a strong, robust workforce that was responsible for keeping Atlantic City’s gaming industry alive during the pandemic.
Allowing indoor smoking is an outdated business practice that has no place in society these days, especially as we emerge from a pandemic that’s made us all more conscious of being in healthy indoor environments. It is time for the Legislature to support casino workers, reject the rhetoric from casino executives, and pass these bills. For workers like me, this is literally a life-or-death fight.
Tammy Brady is a table games dealer in Atlantic City. She has worked in Atlantic City casinos for nearly 40 years.