Caesars Palace, one of the world famous casinos in Las Vegas, is faced with a lawsuit because of second hand smoke. The lawsuit was filed by lawyer Jay Edelson in behalf of Tomo Stevens who is a former employee of the Caesars Palace Casino. Many would say that if someone is afraid of second hand smoke then it’s best to find a job somewhere else rather than work in a casino where second hand smoke would surely be a normal occurrence. Even with that justification, the lawsuit is actually supported by unions and wants immediate results.
A wide array of negative effects are linked back and attributed to long term or frequent exposure to second hand smoke. Research has proven that smoke exhaled by a smoker and inhaled by another individual, or second hand smoke as what we call it, can give the same problems of a direct smoker. Touch exposure could lead to certain leading cancers like lung cancer and breast cancer. It could also affect the cardiovascular system leading to diseases such as heart disease, asthma attacks and bronchitis. Ear infections are also common for persons who are passive smokers. These are only a few side effects of smoking and second hand smoke or passive smoking. In fact, The Surgeon General of the U.S. had confirmed and documented that second hand smoke is indeed dangerous to our health.
Last May, a study was conducted, concluded and claimed that casino workers from top casinos like Caesars palace, Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas tested positive for chemicals in their urine. The chemicals were found to be unhealthy and have many side effects that could lead to diseases. These harmful chemicals are traced back to the second hand smoke. The study was done by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.
Many casino workers are not crying foul because of the second hand smoke itself as they know that it is part of the risk of their job. They are concerned; however, on how second hand smoke is being handled by the management and the casino owners. As the employer, it is the job of the casino owners and management to provide a healthy and safe working environment for the employees. The casino workers and employees are claiming that their employers are slowly installing ventilation systems that would handle the daily accumulation of second hand smoke. Since most casino goers and customers are also smokers, the day to day accumulation of smoke can be a real challenge and good ventilation is a must in the building itself. Some feel that they are being negligent as far as employee’s healths are concerned.
In an interview done to Jay Edelson he said that the point of this lawsuit is not to ban smoking in casinos, the real goal is to change what they’re doing. So, in other words, at least offer areas that are non-smoking where employees can circle in and out.
If the Caesars Palace is proven to be negligent on the claims of Tomo Stevens, a big punitive damage may be involved in the lawsuit.
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