Protesters lobby for smoke-free casinos
By Kathryn Reed
STATELINE — A group of non-smoking gamblers plans to spend two more days protesting in front of the Stateline casinos in an attempt to bring awareness that people would like go inside if it weren’t so smoky.
“Eighty percent of the people don’t smoke and they are shutting those people out,” Janet Kahler of Phoenix said.
Stephanie Steinberg, left, and Janet Kahler protest outside Harrah's on July 16.
She and Stephanie Steinberg, chairwoman of Smoke Free Gaming, were in front of Harrah’s Lake Tahoe early Friday night.
About a dozen people from the Denver-based organization started protesting Thursday and will continue through Sunday – trying to get national recognition while the American Century Celebrity Golf Tournament is in town. Protesters are from Nevada, Colorado and Arizona, with some local advocates.
Steinberg said casino security was out to speak with the pickets.
“We tell them we support Harrah’s,” Steinberg said. Gaming isn’t the issue; it’s the smoke-filled environment this group has an issue with.
She said the group also advocates for casino employees who are breathing secondhand smoke.
A few people were honking as they saw the signs reading, “Smoke free casinos” and “What happens in a casino stays in your lungs.”
Then there was the passenger who offered the women a cigarette. Later a guy appearing to be in his 20s walked by and said, “That would be nice,” after reading the signs.
this would be wonderful….good luck with your efforts………………..
To me it seems more like 5-10% smoke now, so way off the majority, maybe make them a section that they can smoke in?
I love to gamble but can’t take the smoke.
I am so sick of people lighting up and walking around with their lit cigarettes while blowing smoke all around. Some people aren’t even gambling but light up in the casino because they can.
If they think they have a right to smoke, what about my right to breathe?
I even see the dealers cringe when a guy lights up a cigar and blows smoke in their faces. I can’t imagine what they go through.
I wish the casinos would just get rid of the smoking. It’s time!
You have the right to not patronize the casinos. If the smoke bothers you, exercise that right.
Smoking is a choice, breathing is a right. How many more casino workers have to get cancer or DIE from breathing toxic air in their jobsite just because they are trying to feed their family? In a casino town, people work at casinos. It is unfair to expect people to have to sacrifice their health like this when it is such a preventable problem. Take the smoking outside. You can’t shoot your gun in a casino just because you like the smell of gunpowder with your wiskey and cards.
Way to Go….!!!
I agree with them, smoking should be banned in all workplaces. No one should have to choose between their health and their job…..
It’s long overdue to ban all indoor work smoking….
Either ban the smoking or limit it to certain areas and tables. Customers/tourists/gamblers come from all over the country where smoking is banned everywhere and the first thing that happens when they set foot in a casino is that someone lights up. Most of us are too polite to say anything but don’t think we like the smoke. Please do something on behalf of the vast majority of people who don’t smoke and do gamble. Thank you.
@dogwoman: Smoking is a choice BREATHING IS A RIGHT!! Non Smokers SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO INTO CASINOS without having to BREATHE SMOKE!!?? Who are YOU to Dictate WHO SHOULD CHOOSE to go into a Casino and Who should NOT??
@Golfer22: You are SO FUNNY: <> THAT IS SO to the POINT!! Why would ANYONE want to EXPOSE others to THEIR FILTHY HABIT? Why don’t they SHOOT it up if they Have to have the Nicotine SO BAD??
And NO ONE should have to choose between Health and Their JOB!!!
The Casinos that are STILL allowing SMOKING are So Stupid when you Look at the numbers: Only 13 to 17% of Gamblers Smoke so the casinos Allow 13-17% Nauseate and Distract a Whopping 83-87% of the Gamblers!! How stupid is that? Poker Rooms have been Doing GangBuster Business EVER SINCE THEY WENT NO SMOKING! A Player SPOKE and GOT THAT PASSES! Employees and Dealers HAVE NO RIGHTS!! NONE. they are not respected AT ALL! And have you noticed all the kids that walk through with their noses and mouths covered with their shirts?? Wake Up Casino Owners!!!
A Poker Player Spoke up and got No Smoking passed for all the Poker Rooms in the country. And the Poker Room Business has improved Dramatically ever Since! So much for the half-baked theory that when a casino goes no smoking the business goes down {that’s what , anyway!} WHY do the Poker Rooms get to be No Smoking but all the other table games have to be Smoking Allowed?
A few of my words above didn’t get printed – i meant to say {..that’s what the Tobacco Co’s would have us believe anyway!} [[that business goes down if smoking is not allowed]] Did the Airline Business go down when THEY went No Smoking?
The proportions of casinos for smokers vs non-smokers is all wrong. The small nonsmoking sections should be the smoking sections(completely enclosed) and free of casino employees while the rest of the casino is free of smoke and the average person is free to move about
If word got out that the majority of casinos were non-smoking I think it would INCREASE business with a higher dollar player. The average smoking player is not usually a high dollar player(and apparently not that educated or considerate if they can still smoke in public with the knowledge(or lack thereof) of second-hand smoke.