The war over the future of smoking at New Jersey’s casinos continues as proponents of a smoking ban announce plans for the formation of a new political action committee. The initiative is led by Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), a group of Atlantic City casino employees that is determined to end indoor smoking in all NJ casinos.
The organization’s decision to form a PAC comes in the wake of Senator Vince Polistina’s alleged “political games with thousands of his constituents’ lives.” According to Pete Naccarelli, co-founder of CEASE and a table games dealer, Polistina has “revealed himself to be untrustworthy.”
After coming to our first rally in August 2021, recruiting co-sponsors to S264 and A2151, speaking out on our behalf at every turn, he’s now copying and pasting casino executive talking points and attempting to present them as a credible solution. It’s shameful and disgusting.
Pete Naccarelli, co-founder, CEASE
Naccarelli accused Polistina of choosing to be a “front for the casinos” instead of a “backstop for his constituents.”
Naccarelli added that CEASE is now stronger than ever and is supported by thousands of AC casino workers. While he admitted that most of CEASE’s members are new to politics, he said that they have all learned that pressure and accountability are critical. Because of that, the organization will now form a new PAC to support its supporters.
We are fighting for our lives and will battle on all fronts to pass this legislation to end indoor smoking at our workplaces.
Pete Naccarelli, co-founder, CEASE
Dealers Have to Bear with the Smoke for Hours Every Day
New Jersey lawmakers continue to receive pressure to pass a measure that would end casinos’ exemption from the state’s indoor smoking ban. United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain added to the pressure, urging politicians to not make a compromise with casino workers’ health.
Fain emphasized that casino patrons blow tobacco smoke directly into employees’ faces for eight hours, thus exposing them to a variety of health problems. Because of the nature of their work, dealers cannot take their eyes away from the table and have to “bear through the thick smoke that surrounds their workplace,” Fain argued.
In spite of the arguments provided by proponents of a ban on smoking, casino representatives believe that such a measure may undermine their profits. While other casinos across the US have already banned smoking without losing revenue, AC’s casinos are still reluctant to accept such a change.