Health of casino workers
Kathleen Day of Idaho Falls, ID, writes:
I was a Casino worker in Blackhawk and Central City, Co in 1992-1997. I was affected by the second hand smoke and the coin dust. I was a supervisor of the cashier cage, then a lead cashier, and finally just a cashier. I got really sick and was diagnosed with Asthma as a result of these two situations.
There was only one satellite cage that I could worked in that didn’t affect me, because it didn’t have the piped in air. Which in the end, the reason why it affected me was because I worked there at that casino from December 1993-Feb. 1997 and they never cleaned or replaced the air filters in their recycled air system. In the end I had to quit as they said they could not just let me work one cage, as it was not fair to the other cashiers, even though I had a doctors note stating for me to just work in the one cashier cage because of my asthma. So I was forced to quit. Later about a year or two later, I heard that there were customers at that Casino that got really sick from there, it was investigated and found out that the air filter was the cause of making them sick, and they were ordered to take care of the problem. So now I can’t go anywhere, where there is smoking, or a fireplace, or wood stove, because it flares up my asthma. Plus the filters was recycling the old used air, in which the coin dust stayed in the cages also causing people to get sick.
So I know what it is like working and playing around a smoking environment.
we should ban gambling in casinos because the coin dust got you so sick.
Posted by on March 28, 2007 11:42 AMWhether it's second-hand tobacco smoke, dust mites, vapors from heavy metals and cleaning products, or human-carried microbes, buildings get sick and cause countless ailments to unsuspecting victims. After spending one night in a downtown Denver hotel room whose windows were sealed shut, I ended up with a respiratory infection that lasted two months. Maybe it was a coincidence, but the air inside the building smelled odd. The ductwork must have looked like one gigantic Petri dish. I would have loved the opportunity of choosing between recirculated artificial ventilation and fresh air from outdoors, even if the window could have been opened only a few inches.
As for smoking in casinos, it's all about the big bucks. It is appalling that so many gamers go to Cripple Creek dragging their oxygen bottles with them to feed their retirement checks into slot machines. The concept of oxygen tanks and smokers in the same vicinity seems somewhat dangerous.
Posted by Judge Joe on March 28, 2007 04:16 PMIts surely a terrible thing when anyone gets sick and I'm sorry to hear of your illness.
There is, however, something called personal responsibility. If someone chooses to work in a dangerous environment, how can then keep a straight face when complaining about the known outcome. My several, reasonable friends who work in casinos are willing to risk their health for the rather good pay. If the risks come to fruition, thats the breaks.
Of course, companies can be negligent and should be held responsible, which may be the case with the dust. However, the second hand smoke is, undoubtedly, a risk assumed by the worker.
If you don't want secondhand smoke--- don't work in a casino. Last time I checked, involuntary servitude is no defense in this country.
Posted by on March 28, 2007 05:27 PMI'm so sick of you people who keep harping on personal responsibility. What about the 'personal; responsibility of the smoker to keep his/her fouled air inside he/her damaged, black encrusted lungs? Shut up and step outside!
Posted by Ann on March 29, 2007 05:33 AMYeah, don't you all know it is your resposibility to make sure that wherever I go, needs to be a healthy clean place that could not upset my sinuses? Why can't you just stop breathing out as to not taint the air that is inherently mine? Just because I choose to go somewhere and not somewhere else does not give you the right to bother me.
Posted by Stann on March 29, 2007 07:53 AMAnn, Ann, Ann. Again and again you utilise the invidious and selfserving arguments that only obfuscate and deminish your intensions. Resorting to juvenile, inane diatribes is beyond any defence and only serves to prove to others that you are incapable of rational, reasonable presentaion of you unproven point. It is a tale full of sound and fury, signifying nothing
Posted by allen campbell on March 29, 2007 09:45 AMWhy is it so hard to make me comfortable where I go? You smokers try to pass off this responsibility line but it's got nothing to do with that. I'm simply saying that if I choose to go somewhere, it should be you and whoever else has been going there for however many years to make the place into something that is acceptable to me. It's really not that hard. You just need to get it through your heads that it's not my responsibility that's in question here. It's your responsibility to not offend me.
Posted by Stann on March 29, 2007 10:59 AMallen...did you get a new dictionary for Christmas?
Posted by Ann on March 29, 2007 12:50 PMAnn's back! And she's inviting all us angry smokers to step outside.She has said before that she carries a gun.This is a woman who feels lucky.
Posted by Otto on March 29, 2007 03:21 PMI want the air I breath in a bar to be clean and smoke free. That way there's no discomfort for me while I sit there and pickle my liver.
Posted by on March 29, 2007 04:02 PMOn the contrary your highness, it is your responsibility to avoid places where you will be offended KING Stann the first. You see Sir, the world does not revolve around your personal preferences and the royalists were booted out of this country a few hundred years ago and Americans take a great deal of offence at anyone who thinks he deserves to dictate what everyone else must do to satisfy his every egotripping, selfish and irresponsible whims and fancies.
Posted by allen campbell on March 29, 2007 05:07 PMI'm not saying the world should revolve around me, but when I go out, it is up to you to not offend me by blowing smoke everywhere. I should be able to go anywhere I want and have the place I choose to go be whatever I want it to be. I don't care what the owner wants his establishment to be, he's there to serve me and make me happy.
Posted by Stann on March 30, 2007 10:30 AM"I don't care what the owner wants his establishment to be, he's there to serve me and make me happy"
Ahh, the essence of liberalism.
Posted by KW on March 30, 2007 03:12 PMRight on KW!
The business is there to provide a living for themselves and the Family they raise. If a business is not at your beckon call Stan, leave. Find the front door, back door trap door, but just leave that establishment.
Putting a question out for everyone. Should we ban CIGAR BARS? Those establishments created for the main purpose of Cigar smokers. Should we ban them too?
We should ban cigar bars, they create an atmosphere that I do not find acceptable and it gives me cancer. I don't agree, the business is there to provide a service for me and would not do any harm to have them change the business plan to something that could be enjoyed by everybody. I have as much right to be there as you do, but you do not have the right to do me harm. I don't need to find any door, I am doing these people a service by going there.
Posted by Stann on March 30, 2007 03:55 PMStan you have made my point clear. YOU want to ban ALL smoking. IN PRIVATE and Public settings.
You want to go to a Cigar bar? Why? To see what you are missing out on? Its a CIGAR Bar. To go means to go and smoke a cigar and socialize with other Cigar smokers.
I think you may be just being antagonistic as I do not believe that anyone could support this type of thinking.
Yes I would ban all smoking if I had my way. I'm just trying to save your life. The cigar bars seem to be where everybody goes, so it is my right to see what all the fuss is about. I don't have a problem with socializing with other cigar smokers, as long as you do it in a place that does not make me sick.
Posted by Stann on March 30, 2007 04:13 PMStan so you go everywhere smokers go and then complain. Nice Dude. People are having fun with out you so you are going to go there and ruin their fun and relaxation. What a Country
Why do you have the great desire to rule other peoples lives? I dont understand. It is a personal choice. It is legal.
Posted by bwr on March 31, 2007 10:54 AMBecause it's not my choice to breathe in the smoke when I go there.
Posted by Stann on April 2, 2007 11:11 AM