On May 9-11, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights co-hosted the first ever National Smokefree Gaming Symposium in Las Vegas at a smokefree venue.  

The goal of the Symposium was not only to raise awareness and share research about the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure in casinos, but to truly strengthen the movement and solidify our strategies making all casinos 100 percent smokefree. 

Highlights from the Symposium:

•      In collaboration with Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights released “Fighting for Air: Secondhand Smoke in Casinos,” an eight-minute documentary which features current and former casino workers affected by secondhand smoke exposure. Watch for a link to the documentary on our website at www.smokefreecasinos.org.

•      Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly attended the Symposium with First Lady Martha Shelley, to accept an award and standing ovation for signing an Executive Order making all workplaces on the Navajo Nation lands 100 percent commercial tobacco-free. Although his Executive Order did not take effect due to a procedural challenge, President Shelley is committed to supporting legislation this session to make sure that all workers are protected against secondhand smoke. 

•      New research was presented, including research examining secondhand smoke levels in 66 smoky casinos in five states and three casinos that are smokefree. James Repace of Tufts University presented these findings, which provide conclusive evidence that casino workers face extremely dangerous risks as a condition of their employment.

•      A panel of casino workers shared personal stories of suffering and said they would no longer sit silently by while forced to work in unsafe conditions. Legal experts also presented potential options for workers ready to fight back.

Much like in the early years of fighting for smokefree restaurants, the same arguments are thrown at us from the opposition.  Fortunately, the smokefree gaming movement has strong science and solid public support behind it and both are growing quickly.  It’s no longer a question of if casinos will be smokefree, but a question of when.

Thanks to everyone who attended the conference; we look forward to a productive year working together toward our goal of 100 percent smokefree casinos!

Note: Originally printed in the Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights Summer 2011 newsletter, UPDATE. Reprinted with permission.