TRENTON, NJ – FEBRUARY 14, 2024 – This week, legislation was introduced in opposition to smoke-free casino bill (Senate Bill 1493) that received the support of the Senate Health Committee in January.
The following is a response from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)’s New Jersey Government Relations Director Quinton Law:
"Since the 1980s, we've know that secondhand smoke can cause cancer, along with a host of other devastating health effects, like heart disease. Yet, despite the crystal-clear proof that exposure to secondhand smoke is bad—and that smoke-free laws work—lawmakers continue to force Atlantic City workers to choose between their paycheck and breathing in secondhand smoke. The newest proposal is no exception.
“ACS CAN and our allies in this 18-year fight made clear during the last legislative session that any attempts to weaken the smoke-free proposal would not serve the people of New Jersey. Casino workers and health advocates have waited too long, seen too many people harmed by secondhand smoke and watched as data repeatedly affirms their position—that smoke-free casinos are likely better for business—to accept proposals, like this latest one.
“We urge lawmakers to reject the weakened smoke-free proposal and, instead, support the pro-worker, health-focused proposal in Senate Bill 1493. We call on Senate President Scutari to bring Senate Bill 1493 to a full vote, rejecting any harmful compromises that weaken the bill. This legislation represents a critical step towards guaranteeing casino workers’ right to breathe clean air, and lawmakers must recognize the urgency of codifying this right into law.”
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state, and local levels. By engaging advocates across the country to make their voices heard, ACS CAN influences legislative and regulatory solutions that will end cancer as we know it.