Casinos are among the last places in Kansas where people can smoke indoors. For casino employees like security guard Joe Hafley, that means constant exposure to smoke.
“I never know when somebody’s going to be smoking,” he said. “I’ll walk by them and not know it, breathe it in. That’s the worst part of it.”
Hafley leads the Kansas chapter of a group called CEASE, short for Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects. The group will try again in January to convince state lawmakers to ban smoking inside the four casinos owned by the state.
Hafley said he and his coworkers are frequently sick, especially with upper respiratory illnesses. He said he gets pneumonia or bronchitis two or three times a year.
That’s consistent with what doctors say about secondhand smoke.
Dr. Mario Castro is the chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He said exposure to secondhand smoke can also lead to more serious, long-term illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
“Secondhand smoke exposure is a significant public health problem,” he said. “We know that there’s about 20,000 deaths each year from secondhand smoke exposure, distinct from those that smoke.”
Castro said there’s also a lesser known phenomenon called thirdhand smoke. It’s when people are exposed to smoke particles and carcinogens that cling to clothing or other surfaces.
“There’s really no safe level of exposure,” he said. “We know that even brief periods of time are significant.”
Jeff Morris is vice president of public affairs and government relations for Penn Entertainment, which operates the Hollywood Casino at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas. In a statement to FOX4, he said casinos in Kansas use air ventilation systems, high ceilings and separate smoking sections to accommodate nonsmoking customers.
“The real power at the end of the day on this issue rests with our customers who can vote with their pocketbooks if they feel like we’re not doing a good enough job catering to their needs,” Morris said.
Some casino operators testified against a similar ban proposed by CEASE last year, saying it would drive smoking customers to nearby casinos in Missouri and Oklahoma that allow smoking.
The ban would also not impact casinos in the state that are owned by federally recognized tribes.
Hafley said he’s optimistic the group can get another hearing on the proposed ban this year. The group is also pushing for a ban in Missouri.
The bill never made it to the floor for a vote during the last legislative session.
Daniel Caudill reports on the Kansas Statehouse and government for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can email him at dcaudill@ku.edu.
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