National Council of Legislators From Gaming States Adopts Resolution Supporting 100% Smokefree Gaming Venues

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS), an organization comprised of lawmakers from states with casinos and other forms of state-regulated gaming, formally adopted a resolution Saturday encouraging states to take action to make all gaming worksites smokefree.

The resolution was adopted at the NCLGS 2009 Winter Meeting, held last weekend in Scottsdale, Arizona. The resolution, sponsored by Delaware state representative William Oberle, the current president of NCLGS, was passed by the NCLGS Committee on Casinos and approved by Executive Committee.

Cynthia Hallett, Executive Director of Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, said, "We applaud NCLGS for approving this landmark resolution. It should serve as a wake up call to lawmakers to stop delaying on smokefree protections for all workers. For a casino worker, every day breathing secondhand smoke in the workplace is one too many. Everyone has the right to breathe smokefree air - regardless of the color of their collar."

The NCLGS resolution encourages lawmakers to include casinos and other gaming venues in smokefree workplace laws. In addition, it recommends that smokefree air be included in state-tribal gaming compact agreements. This news comes as several states and tribes around the U.S. will be considering smokefree laws that include gaming facilities. A number of states, such as Illinois, Delaware, and Colorado, already have smokefree casinos, while others are expected to consider strengthening state smokefree laws to include gaming worksites.

Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of heart disease, cancer and respiratory illnesses, according to the 2006 US Surgeon General's Report, and approximately 50,000 die every year in the United States due to secondhand smoke exposure. This landmark report also reaffirmed that smoking sections, segregated smoking rooms and even sophisticated ventilation and air filtration systems are ineffective at eliminating health risks due to secondhand smoke.

Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (www.no-smoke.org) is a national, member-based, not-for-profit organization based in Berkeley, CA that is dedicated to helping nonsmokers breathe smokefree air in enclosed public places and workplaces.

Additional Resources:

NCLGS Press Release - Smokefree Gaming Resolution:

http://www.nclgs.org/PDFs/8000919.pdf

NCLGS Resolution (Text):

http://www.nclgs.org/PDFs/8000827h.pdf

ANR Map and List of Smokefree Gaming Laws:

http://no-smoke.org/pdf/100smokefreecasinos.pdf

ANR Factsheet "Secondhand Smoke and Gaming Facilities":

http://no-smoke.org/pdf/shsandcasinos.pdf

    Contact:  Cynthia Hallett, Executive Director
    Phone:  (510) 717-4302
    Email:  cynthia.hallett@no-smoke.org
    Web:  http://ga1.org/ct/jd111111FXNH/anr_website

SOURCE Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights

RELATED LINKS
http://www.no-smoke.org