Atlantic City casino smoking ban bill to get Feb. 13 hearing

Feb 1, 2023, 4:16 PM | Updated: 4:25 pm
Gamblers play slot machines in a smoking section of the Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on...

Gamblers play slot machines in a smoking section of the Hard Rock casino in Atlantic City, N.J., on Aug. 8, 2022. State lawmakers will hold a hearing on Feb. 13, 2023 to discuss a proposed law that would ban smoking in the casinos. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

(AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey lawmakers will soon discuss a proposed law that would ban smoking in Atlantic City’s casinos, the first action in nearly three years on an emotional issue that is dividing casino patrons and sickening some workers.

The state Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee will hold a hearing Feb. 13 in Trenton to discuss the bill, but does not plan to vote on it that day, according to Sen. Joseph Vitale, one of the measure’s sponsors.

The bill would close a loophole in New Jersey’s 2006 indoor smoking law that exempts casinos. Currently, smoking is allowed on up to 25% of the casino floor.

Similar pushes to end casino smoking are being waged by employees in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Many casino workers have been pushing for years for a total ban on casino smoking, saying the secondhand smoke is making them ill.

The casinos fear a total smoking ban would cost the industry revenue and jobs, although smoking opponents dispute that assertion.

“This hearing means that Atlantic City casino workers are one step closer to not having to choose between their health and a paycheck,” said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. “It’s a historic moment in the fight to protect the health of thousands of New Jersey workers. Dealers bear the brunt of the dangerous secondhand smoke more harshly than anyone else working in casinos, and their voices must carry the most weight.”

Vitale said the hearing is intended to foster “a thorough discussion with the committee on how this bill will affect casino employees, customers and the gaming industry.”

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has promised to sign the bill if it passes the Legislature.

___

Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

(Facebook Photo/Superior Court of Arizona in Yavapai County)...
Associated Press

Arizona judge has cases reassigned following DUI arrest

The Arizona Supreme Court has ruled that all cases currently assigned to a Yavapai County Superior Court judge recently arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI will be reassigned to other judges.
2 days ago
Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
5 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
5 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
11 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
19 days ago
(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...
Sponsored Content by OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center

Here's what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.

Sponsored Articles

(Photo: OCD & Anxiety Treatment Center)...

Here’s what you need to know about OCD and where to find help

It's fair to say that most people know what obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders generally are, but there's a lot more information than meets the eye about a mental health diagnosis that affects about one in every 100 adults in the United States.
(Photo by Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)...
Cox Communications

Valley Boys & Girls Club uses esports to help kids make healthy choices

KTAR’s Community Spotlight focuses on the Boys & Girls Club of the Valley and the work to incorporate esports into children's lives.
...
Quantum Fiber

How high-speed fiber internet edges out cable for everyday use

In a world where technology drives so much of our daily lives, a lack of high-speed internet can be a major issue.
Atlantic City casino smoking ban bill to get Feb. 13 hearing