New Jersey Governor Calls on Lawmakers to Resolve Atlantic City Smoking Controversy

(AsiaGameHub) –   In a recent interview with the Press of Atlantic City, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill remained neutral on the Atlantic City casino smoking dispute, but called on legislators to resolve the issue promptly and bring the long-standing debate to a close.

Governor Sherrill Calls on Legislature to Resolve the Issue

Sherrill noted that while legal proceedings continue, lawmaking is the real solution. She added that she has received input from employees with differing views on the matter – those who support a smoking ban and those who oppose it due to business concerns. The governor emphasized that the focus must be on safeguarding employee wellbeing while maintaining employment and fostering ongoing economic development.

A worker-led organization of casino employees known as Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE) has long campaigned for all nine Atlantic City casinos to go smoke-free. Last year, the coalition even called on candidates for governor, Sherrill being one of them, to support the group’s initiative to ban smoking inside casinos.

Under the 2006 New Jersey Smoke-Free Air Act, however, casinos received a waiver permitting smoking on up to 25% of their gaming areas. However, this law did not mandate that smoking sections be enclosed by walls or other physical partitions. Consequently, smoke frequently infiltrates supposedly smoke-free zones.

Perspectives from Both Sides of the Smoking Ban Debate

CEASE members claim their constitutional rights under state law are being infringed. They cite a clause in the New Jersey Constitution stating that all individuals are inherently free and independent, with certain fundamental rights, including the right to pursue and obtain safety and happiness. This constitutional reasoning has been incorporated into several bills put forward earlier this year, which aim to tackle the issue.

However, CEASE faces opposition from Atlantic City casinos, represented in Trenton by the Casino Association of New Jersey, which are seeking to maintain their indoor smoking allowances. The group argues that a prohibition would push gamblers toward Philadelphia, where most casinos permit cigarettes and cigars at slot machines and table games. Furthermore, with three potential downstate New York casinos in the works, the Atlantic City casino lobby argues that now is an inopportune moment for new restrictions. The lobby contends that a complete indoor smoking prohibition might harm the city’s gambling sector by deterring patrons from Atlantic City establishments.

Some, though, dispute this claim, and a ban might actually draw more non-smoking patrons. The American Lung Association reports that adult smoking rates declined by 73% between 1965 and 2022, with tobacco use decreasing among younger generations.