Majority of Nevada voters would support indoor smoking ban at casinos, says new poll

A majority of Nevada voters, at nearly 60 percent, would support banning smoking in casinos, according to the results of a new poll released Tuesday by a state clean air advocacy group.

The survey, commissioned by the Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-free Coalition, revealed that 58 percent of voters surveyed would endorse a potential law making all workplaces in Nevada, including casinos, completely smoke-free while indoors. Meanwhile, 39 percent of respondents expressed opposition to such legislation, reports Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Additionally, the poll indicated that Nevada voters view elected officials who support an indoor smoking ban more favorably, with 55 percent showing support compared to 35 percent who do not.

Public health and worker advocates see the poll results as a positive step toward amending the state's Clean Indoor Air Act, which currently exempts casinos and stand-alone bars from clean air regulations, or enacting a ban through other legislative means.

The coalition, comprising approximately 40 public health, rural services, and medical groups, expressed satisfaction with the level of resistance among respondents to the argument that a smoking ban would negatively impact casinos economically. Notably, 43 percent of those surveyed remained unconvinced by this argument, while 38 percent believed it to be true.

Nicole Chacon, manager at the Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-free Coalition, emphasized the enduring support for a smoking ban among Nevada voters, despite potential opposition. "We know even if we’ll be outspent by the opposition, Nevada voters would still continue to support it," Chacon stated, as per Review-Journal.

The Nevada Resort Association refrained from commenting on the poll results, citing a lack of access to the data.

Polling firm Normington Petts conducted the survey, reaching out to 800 registered Nevada voters in January through various methods, including live interviews, landlines, mobile phones, and text-to-web surveys.

The United Auto Workers (UAW), representing approximately 3,000 casino workers at establishments like MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Wynn Resorts, has joined the discussion. UAW filed a lawsuit on April 5 to address the loophole in Atlantic City, and the Las Vegas local of the union is lending its support to the smoke-free coalition's efforts.

Paula Larson-Schusster, president of UAW Local 3555 and a dealer at the Flamingo, highlighted the adverse health effects experienced by long-term casino workers due to exposure to second-hand smoke. "A lot of people’s health situations during the three months (of COVID-19-related casino closures) got better. But unfortunately, that only lasted for a short time and they allowed smoking again," Larson-Schusster remarked.

Echoing the concerns about health hazards posed by second-hand smoke in casinos, a study conducted by the University of Nevada, Reno, released Wednesday, revealed that indoor casino areas have up to 18 times higher levels of harmful second-hand smoke compared to outdoor environments.

Larson-Schusster expressed openness to exploring various avenues to advance non-smoking legislation. "I’m willing to use any tool in the toolbox that will get me to that point," she affirmed.

While Culinary Local 226 officials were not directly involved in the polling, Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge acknowledged the union's interest in the Atlantic City initiative.

However, he acknowledged the political challenges associated with closing the loophole in Nevada. "You can see the big fight we had over daily room cleaning and even Democrats caved and followed the company’s lead on daily room cleaning," Pappageorge noted.