Retired Flight Attendant Patricia Young Reflects on Fight for Smokefree Skies, Calls on Casinos to Follow Suit
Berkeley, CA — 35 years after flight attendants won a hard-fought battle against the airline industry to make airplanes smokefree, Patricia Young — a critical leader in the smokefree skies movement — is making it clear that the years of activism their victory kicked off are still not over. In an op-ed, Young compares her fight for smokefree skies decades ago — that now keeps airline workers safe from toxic secondhand smoke — to casino workers’ push to close casino smoking loopholes across the country today
KEY POINT: “When we fought to make airlines smoke-free, the industry warned of dire economic consequences. Instead, air travel flourished. The same fear tactics were used in restaurants, bars, and offices, and yet, those workplaces quickly adapted and thrived. And while many people think gambling and smoking go hand in hand, public opinion is changing fast: smoking is at a historic low, and according to the Surgeon General’s 2024 report, the vast majority of people want smokefree casinos. The truth is, people want clean air, businesses do just fine without smoking, and smokefree policies save lives.”
Americans for Nonsmokers Rights: Airlines Have Been Smokefree For 35 Years, But the Fight For Clean Air Isn’t Over
