Smoke-Free Casinos
Benefits of Smoke-Free Casinos
- Attract more customers. Surveys show 75% of regular casino goers want smoke-free casinos.1
- Protect employees and customers from secondhand smoke.
- Reduced legal liability.2
- Reduce fire risk.3
- Reduce maintenance and cleanings costs from thirdhand smoke, the toxic residue left behind from tobacco smoke.4
Are there laws that protect people from secondhand smoke at casinos in Missouri?
- Many city and county smoke-free ordinances exempt casinos, meaning the casinos do not have to follow local smoke-free laws.
- The Missouri Clean Indoor Air Act states that no person shall smoke in a public place except in designated areas.
- Under this law, public places include workplaces and any indoor space used by the public. However, many workplaces are not protected by the law.
- Exemptions: Bars, taverns, restaurants that seat less than 50 people, bowling alleys, and billiard parlors.
- Designated smoking areas must be 30% or less of the entire space.5
Read more about the Missouri Clean Indoor Air Act
- FAQs About the Missouri State Clean Indoor Air Law
- Missouri Indoor Clean Air Act, Sections 191.765-191.777
- Definitions of “Public Place” under the law
Who is at risk?
- Workers at casinos are forced to choose between a paycheck and long term exposure to secondhand smoke.
- Long term secondhand smoke exposure increases lung cancer risk by 20-30%.6
- Customers who visit casinos without smoke-free policies.
- Short term exposure to secondhand smoke can strain the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk for heart attack,6 trigger asthma attacks.7
- Short term exposure to secondhand smoke can change the body’s cells in a way that sets the cancer process in motion.6
- Ventilation systems, barriers, and separate smoking areas do not protect people from secondhand and thirdhand smoke.7
What can you do?
- Use the tools below to implement a smoke-free policy at your casino.
- Talk to casino management about adopting a smoke-free policy.
- Educate your community leaders and business owners about the benefits of smoke-free laws and policies that protect all employees and customers at all worksites.
Resources
- Model Policy for Smoke-Free Casino
- Smoke-Free Casino Toolkit
- Sample Guest Survey on Indoor Smoking
- Smoke-Free Casino Fact Sheet
- Smoke-Free Casinos Infographic
- Legal Issues in the Workplace
- Learn More about Smoke-Free Casinos
- Missouri Tobacco Quit Services
- Order Free Materials
References
- 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 14). Going Smokefree Matters: Casinos. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand-smoke/going-smokefree-matters/casinos/index.html
- 2. American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. (2023). Legal Requirements to Protect Nonsmokers. American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation | no-smoke.org. https://no-smoke.org/legal-requirements-protect-nonsmokers/
- 3. Leistikow, B. N., Martin, D. C., & Milano, C. E. (2000). Fire injuries, disasters, and costs from cigarettes and cigarette lights: a global overview. Preventive medicine, 31(2 Pt 1), 91–99. https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2000.0680
- 4. American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. (2023). Business Costs in a Smoke-Filled Environment. American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation | no-smoke.org. https://no-smoke.org/business-costs-smoke-filled-environment/
- 5. Missouri State Clean Indoor Air Law, Section 191.769. (1992, August 28). https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=191.769&bid=9659
- 6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, November 1). Health Problems Caused by Secondhand Smoke. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand-smoke/health.html.
- 7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2006). The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/2006/pdfs/6major-conclusions.pdf
- Image: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, September 14). Going Smokefree Matters: Casinos. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/secondhand-smoke/going-smokefree-matters/casinos/index.html