Resolution #_______

 

Title:  Smokefree Workplaces to Protect Tribal Citizens from the Dangers of Secondhand Smoke.

 

WHEREAS, the ________________________________(name of tribe), is an Indian tribe as defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Pub. L. 93-638, 25 U.S.C. 450b; and

 

WHEREAS, the _________________________________(name of tribe) hereby finds the cultural, spiritual and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco is an integral part of traditional, native life; and

 

WHEREAS, the ________________________________(name of tribe) fundamental traditional and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco shall not be restricted; and

 

WHEREAS, American Indian people have the highest rate of commercial tobacco use in the nation; and

 

WHEREAS, commercial tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death and disease and American Indian people suffer serious health consequences including heart disease and cancer; and

 

WHEREAS, secondhand commercial tobacco smoke exposure is another leading cause of preventable death, and causes disease in healthy nonsmokers, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and cancer; and

 

WHEREAS, it has been determined by the U.S. Surgeon General that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, that air ventilation systems do not work, and that only completely 100% smokefree environments can protect health; and

 

WHEREAS, a significant amount of secondhand smoke exposure for American Indian adults and children occurs in the workplace and even short exposures may result  in serious adverse health effects and even death; and

 

WHEREAS, smokefree workplace laws protect people from secondhand smoke, reduce commercial tobacco use overall, support healthy lifestyles, model healthy behavior, and support quit attempts; and  

 

WHEREAS, the health of our people is of upmost importance and American Indians have taken a lead in addressing health issues throughout the years; and

 

WHEREAS, commercial tobacco smokefree workplaces will protect the health of our children, grandchildren, families and community members.

 

 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the _________________________ supports adoption of a comprehensive commercial tobacco smokefree workplace policy, without exception and to include casinos/gaming enterprises, to protect American Indian people from the known dangers of secondhand smoke.

 

 

 

 

CERTIFICATION

 

I hereby certify that the above resolution was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the Association on this __day of _____ 2013 at which a quorum was present, with a vote of __for, __against, __ abstentions, __absent.

 

 

__________________________________________                                    __________

(Name), President                                                                   Date

 

ATTEST:__________________________________                                                __________

               (name), Tribal Administrator                                   Date

 

 

 

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Abstract (provisional)

Background

Nearly all California casinos currently allow smoking, which leads to potentially high patron exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke pollutants. Some argue that smoking restrictions or bans would result in a business drop, assuming > 50% of patrons smoke. Evidence in Nevada and responses from the 2008 California tobacco survey refute this assertion. The present study investigates the proportion of active smokers in southern California tribal casinos, as well as occupancy and PM2.5 levels in smoking and nonsmoking sections.

Methods

We measured active-smoker and total-patron counts during Friday or Saturday night visits (two per casino) to smoking and nonsmoking gaming areas inside 11 southern California casinos. We counted slot machines and table games in each section, deriving theoretical maximum capacities and occupancy rates. We also measured PM2.5 concentrations (or used published levels) in both nonsmoking and smoking areas.

Results

Excluding one casino visit with extremely high occupancy, we counted 24,970 patrons during 21 casino visits of whom 1,737 were actively smoking, for an overall active- smoker proportion of 7.0% and a small range of ~5% across casino visits (minimum of 5% and maximum of 10%). The differences in mean inter-casino active-smoker proportions were not statistically significant. Derived occupancy rates were 24% to 215% in the main (low-stakes) smoking-allowed slot or table areas. No relationship was found between observed active-smoker proportions and occupancy rate. The derived maximum capacities of nonsmoking areas were 1% to 29% of the overall casino capacity (most under 10%) and their observed occupancies were 0.1 to over 3 times that of the main smoking-allowed casino areas. Seven of twelve visits to nonsmoking areas with no separation had occupancy rates greater than main smoking areas. Unenclosed nonsmoking areas don't substantially protect occupants from PM2.5 exposure. Nonsmoking areas encapsulated inside smoking areas or in a separate, but unenclosed, area had PM2.5 levels that were 10 to 60 mug/m3 and 6 to 23 mug/m3 higher than outdoor levels, respectively, indicating contamination from smoking.

Conclusions

Although fewer than roughly 10% of casino patrons are actively smoking on average, these individuals substantially increase PM2.5 exposure for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from PM2.5 exposures for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.

ETR Associates Publishes Research Supporting Smoking Bans in Tribal Casinos

ETR Associates staff members and researchers recently authored and published a study on the small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high second hand smoke pollutants (PM2.5) in southern California tribal casinos; supporting the establishment of smoking bans or designated smoking areas in tribal casinos.

The research, published in the open-access journal Bio-Med Central Public Health entitled: “Small proportions of actively-smoking patrons and high PM2.5 levels in southern California tribal casinos: support for smoking bans or designated smoking areas” is based on data collected from 2008-2011. The data refute a misconception that the majority of people who go to tribal casinos smoke. The research showed that, on average, only 7% of patrons in 11 southern California casinos were actively smoking when observed during a visual survey. In other words, non-smoking patrons outnumbered actively-smoking patrons 13 to 1, on average. Fewer than roughly 10% of patrons smoked during any of the 22 total casino visits by the researchers (2 visits per casino). However, based on both new and previously-published air monitoring results, these individuals were found to substantially increase secondhand smoke particle exposures (PM2.5) for all patrons in smoking and unenclosed nonsmoking areas. Nonsmoking areas may be too inconvenient, small, or undesirable to serve a substantial number of nonsmoking patrons. Imposing indoor smoking bans, or contained smoking areas with a maximum capacity of up to 10% of the total patronage, would offer protection from exposure to toxic pollutants for nonsmoking patrons and reduce employee exposures.

ETR staff members working on the report include: Neil Klepeis, Jason Omoto, Seow Ling Ong, Narinder Dhaliwal and Harmeena Sahota Omoto.

To review this article, please visit: www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/819/abstract

For technical information about this article and research questions, please contact Dr. Neil Klepeis, Senior Research Associate, neilk@etr.org or 831-406-1014. For information on ETR's Clean Air Project and programmatic questions, please contact Narinder Dhaliwal, Project Director for the California Clean Air Project at narinderd@etr.org or 916-642-1186

 

Growing Support for Smokefree Casinos

With state regulated and tribal gaming expanding at an exponential rate, casinos and other gaming venues are emerging as huge employers for local and state economies. Nationwide, casinos provide over one million jobs. Smokefree casinos ensure that these jobs don't sicken or kill the people they employ.

If smoking is allowed within a casino, both employees and patrons are at risk. Secondhand smoke exposure from commercial tobacco is known to cause heart diseases, lung cancer and other breathing problems.

Bottom line, smokefree casinos protect worker health and save lives. 

With the vast majority of casino patrons preferring smokefree air, public support for smokefree gaming laws is at an all-time high.Smokefree casinos are becoming the mainsteam norm. Some examples are the casinos opening smokefree in Ohio - one of which even has a policy to only hire non-tobacco users. In Massachusetts, over a dozen casino operators are competing for the four casino licenses. These properties will have to be smokefree and will employ thousands of people. In Colorado, casinos are investing and improving properties as smokefree entertainment venues.

 

THE FACTS:

• Smoke-filled casinos have up to 50 times more cancer causing particles in the air than highways and city streets clogged with diesel trucks in rush hour traffic.

• Ventilation does not solve the problem. Casino workers even in a “well-ventilated” casino have cotinine (metabolized nicotine) levels 300-600% higher than employees in other smoking workplaces during a work shift. Ventilation systems may remove odor but cannot fully remove the serious health risks caused by secondhand smoke exposure.
  
  
• Making casinos 100% smokefree is the only way to completely protect both customers and workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
  
  
• Casino customers and workers face higher risk for heart attacks. In a landmark report released in 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that heart attack rates are reduced dramatically when smokefree laws are in place. The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) approved a landmark resolution in January 2009 encouraging state lawmakers to ensure that casinos are smokefree workplaces.

Get the facts. Read ANR's Secondhand Smoke and Casinos and our 4-page backgrounder on Smokefree Casinos.

Click on the image to view the full size ad for the smokefree Muckleshoot Casino, which appeared in Alaska Airlines Magazine.

 

Fighting For Smokefree Air: Secondhand Smoke in Casinos: This 16-minute documentary produced by ANRF invites you into the lives of casino workers and their struggle for a safe smokefree work environment. For more information or to get involved in the smokefree casino movement, please contact us at anr@no-smoke.org.

 

As more cities, counties, states, and entire nations enact 100% smokefree workplace laws, keeping casinos smoke-filled is no longer the status quo. In the United States, 19 states, Washington DC, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico have enacted smokefree gaming laws.

Despite opposition efforts to divert the message away from worker health with arguments of economic downturns, the evidence speaks for itself:

• Smokefree laws have no adverse effect on total gambling revenues;
• Smokefree gaming is popular among gaming employees and management;
• Gaming patrons favor smokefree indoor air.
  
  

"We opened 100% smoke-free in 1997. We've expanded 100% smoke-free. And even smokers thank us for it." 
- Mark Kaplan, former Marketing Director, Taos Mountain Casino, Taos, New Mexico

 

 

Live in a community with gaming? Click on the image below to learn effective ways of engaging gaming employees into your smokefree campaign:

 

Share your story. If you are a gaming industry employee or patron who has been adversely affected by secondhand smoke,click here to share your story.

We would love to hear from you!

 

Stop gambling on your health! Donate to ANR's "Smokefree Air Action Fund."

Read more about smokefree gambling in the news.

Casinos are workplaces. Listen to this radio ad to hear casino employee Vinny Rennich's story. Vinny Rennich is the winner of ANR's 2007 Smokefree Hero of the Year Award.

 

 

Smokefree tribal casinos:

As sovereign nations, tribal governments are not required to follow state law, but given the significant negative health effects of smoking, and the disproportionate morbidity and mortality among Native Americans for use of and exposure to commercial tobacco, that many tribes are voluntarily making casinos smokefree and expanding existing commercial tobacco-free tribal policies to include casinos.

Click on the image to watch the video Nathan's Story about the impact of secondhand smoke on a tribal casino employee.

A 2010 study examined indoor air samples within over half of California's tribal casinos and found that both patrons and workers are gambling with their health every time they enter these casinos:

NEW SMOKEFREE TRIBAL GAMING BROCHURE

Tribal governments also have a unique opportunity to protect those individuals residing, working, or visiting in sovereign tribal lands. In a collaborative project with the National Native Network and the ANR Foundation, a new publication,Smokefree Tribal Gaming - Breathe Easy, can now assist Native Communities as they advance toward smokefree gambling. This resource is available for only $1.00 on our Merchandise page.

For more information about smokefree policy work in Native Communities, check out our Native Communites page.

Ventilation does not work:

A federal report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) shows workers in Las Vegas casinos are exposed to dangerous levels of secondhand smoke at work.

Results from the report indicate dangerous levels of secondhand smoke exposure present at all casinos tested, regardless of ventilation systems. Toxins from secondhand smoke were absorbed into workers' bodies at growing levels during their shifts.

Authors reported the only way to protect the health of casino workers was a 100% smokefree workplace environment. The report also confirmed that ventilation systems cannot remove health risks.

Gaming industry workers typically suffer higher occupational exposure to secondhand smoke, putting them at greater risk for lung and heart disease and DNA damage. As has been proven time and time again, ventilation does not eliminate all the poisonous toxins and chemical components of secondhand smoke. The science is clear. Ventilation systems or air cleaning technologies may reduce odor, but they do not address the serious health risks caused by secondhand smoke exposure. Health studies of casino workers looking at actual bio-markers of exposure show that ventilation systems do little if anything to reduce worker exposure to secondhand smoke. Examples of bio-markers used to assess exposure to secondhand smoke include cotinine or tobacco-specific carcinogens like NNK. Secondhand tobacco smoke has a non-linear dose response, and there is no known safe level of exposure. Serious health impacts, especially to the cardiovascular system occur quickly at even at extremely low levels of exposure. The only way to eliminate the health hazards of secondhand smoke is with a 100% smokefree environment.