May 5, 2023 | Contact: press@no-smoke.org
“It’s Ludicrous of Borgata to Hold This Event As Their Employees Are Calling For Ending Smoking At The Casino to Protect Their Health.”
Borgata to Handout 15+ Cigars to Over 400 Smokers at Upcoming “Cigar Snob” Event
Atlantic City, NJ— Ahead of a planned “cigar snob” event hosted by the Atlantic City Borgata Casino next week , Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights issued the following statement:
“We strongly urge Borgata to cancel their upcoming ‘Cigar Snob’ event where they highlight that ‘smoke bellows and libations flow freely.’ Casino workers have shared harrowing stories of being forced to work eight-hour shifts with smokers only a few feet away. Now, their employer has invited over 400 smokers into the casino and plans on handing out at least 15 cigars to each guest.
“Borgata claims that ‘this is the cigar event the Jersey shore has been waiting for.’ We find that difficult to believe given the fact that smoking is prohibited in all public spaces including on the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk. The reality is that hundreds of casino workers and guests have been calling on lawmakers to close the casino smoking loophole and a strong majority of people prefer a smokefree environment.
“It’s ludicrous of Borgata to hold this event as their employees are calling for ending smoking at the casino to protect their health. If lawmakers still had any questions on whether casinos would make a good-faith effort to do the right thing for their workers, this surely sends a clear message. As New Jersey lawmakers return to Trenton for the upcoming legislative session, we urge them to pass legislation to close the casino smoking loophole, and we urge Borgata to cancel this event so that their rhetoric about valuing their employees actually matches up to their actions.”
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ABOUT AMERICANS FOR NONSMOKERS’ RIGHTS
Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) is a member-supported, non-profit advocacy group that has been working for over 45 years, since 1976, to protect everyone’s right to breathe nontoxic air in workplaces and public places, from offices and airplanes to restaurants, bars, and casinos. ANR has continuously shined a light on the tobacco industry’s interference with sound and life-saving public health measures and successfully protected 61% of the population with local or statewide smokefree workplace, restaurant, and bar laws. ANR aims to close gaps in smokefree protections for workers in all workplaces, including bars, music venues, casinos, and hotels. For more information, please visit https://nonsmokersrights.org and https://smokefreecasinos.org.
