United States Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada represents one of 15 states where commercial casinos still permit indoor tobacco use. Last week, Titus suggested that modern casinos, with their state-of-the-art ventilation systems, have mitigated the concerns of indoor smoking. However, her comments were swiftly rebutted by a prominent public health organization.
Titus attended a Washington, DC event on September 19, 2024, titled, “Betting on the Future of Gaming,” hosted by news outlet Semafor and sponsored by the American Gaming Association. The Congresswoman, whose district includes Clark County and Las Vegas, emphasized that Nevada casinos closely regulate themselves to protect both workers and patrons.
“If you go anywhere on the Strip, they have the very latest technology. It’s not the low ceiling, old-time places that are so smoky. Even some of the slot machine banks have filters on the side that suck out the bad air,” Titus remarked in response to questions about banning casino smoking.
When asked whether she receives complaints from constituents about casino smoking, Titus, who chairs the Congressional Gaming Caucus, said she rarely hears such feedback. “Well, not lately because of all the improvements that [casinos] have made,” she stated.
In reaction to Titus’ remarks, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) issued a condemning statement. “Given the support for smoke-free casinos from patrons, working people, public health officials, and the public at large, we encourage Rep. Titus to support her constituents and use her role as the Congressional Gaming Caucus chair to push the industry to end this outdated business practice,” said ANR President and CEO Cynthia Hallett.
Hallett pointed to comments from the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, whose members design casino ventilation systems. These professionals argue that such ventilation systems do not fully remove carcinogens from secondhand smoke.
“The engineers who design ventilation systems have repeatedly told casinos to stop claiming that they protect workers and guests from dangerous secondhand smoke. These systems remove odor, not carcinogens,” Hallett emphasized.
Titus did acknowledge that “secondhand smoke is certainly something to take into consideration.” She suggested that if the Culinary Union, Nevada’s largest trade group for casino workers, aims to eliminate smoking, they likely have the political influence to make changes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) backed Hallett’s claims last year, noting that ventilation systems can’t effectively eradicate secondhand smoke indoors. In a report titled, “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Your Lungs,” the CDC revealed that air quality studies in casinos with smoking allowed showed elevated levels of particulate matter (PM), specifically aerosol particles with a diameter <2.5 µm, which carry secondhand smoke.
Tests conducted by the CDC inside Las Vegas casinos, including both smoking and nonsmoking sections, found an average PM2.5 level of 165 μg/m3, significantly higher than the 30 μg/m3 that is considered healthy with minimal secondhand smoke risk. Even in areas labeled as smoke-free, PM2.5 levels averaged 83 μg/m3.
Nevada is one of only eight states that allow indoor smoking on casino gaming floors. The CDC maintains that only completely smoke-free casinos can adequately protect workers and patrons from the dangers of secondhand smoke.
