Rhode Island casino workers have banded together in a State House demonstration to protest indoor smoking in casinos.
The protest saw around 150 casino workers enter the Rhode Island State House in a protest against indoor smoking in casinos on Tuesday, May 20. Many people present shared their own personal stories with the issue, saying that they struggled with heart disease and cancer because of the smoke.
The protest was in support of a bill, put forward by Representative Teresa Tanzi, that would close the loophole that currently allows indoor smoking at casinos in Lincoln and Tiverton. This is the latest in a long line of attempts to prevent indoor smoking.
However, this time Tanzi has also won over House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi to the battle. The casino workers’ latest protest was also backed by Butler Hospital workers. What’s more, Senate President Valarie Lawson has publicly expressed support for the ban, arguing that the process should happen gradually and in line with standard procedural changes.
Those against banning smoking in Rhode Island
While those in favor of the bill base their arguments on the health risk to workers, there are those who oppose it on economic grounds. However, the fears of Rhode Island losing casino revenue is not backed up by similar situations in other states, as reported by Gambling News.
Representative Frank Ciccone is attempting to find a compromise between the two, with a suggestion to expand the non-smoking areas in casinos. In response, however, casino workers are calling for nothing except a total ban, using the COVID period when indoor smoking was complete banned as an example of a better time. Since that temporary ban was lifted, the workers ague that the work conditions have gotten worse.
Gambling industry workers have been taking on other causes recently, with employees in Michigan taking a course on how to recognise the early signs of human trafficking.
