Smoke-free Tribal Casinos - A Real Possibility

Audience:

Tobacco control staff, tribal policymakers, and activists will benefit from learning about successful strategies to achieve smoke-free policies in tribally-owned casinos, which are not subject to state smoke-free workplace laws.

Key Points:

CCAP worked with Win River casino management to conduct observational surveys of the number of total patrons compared to the sub-set of actively smoking patrons on the gaming floor.  Additionally, Side Pak air monitoring determined levels of exposure to SHS as referenced to Cal EPA outdoor levels.  To date, air monitoring has been conducted on two separate occasions. Findings confirm SHS exposure is caused by a clear minority of smoking patrons.  This raises the question: why is this casino catering to the minority instead of the majority of patrons?  Win River currently offers a small enclosed smoke-free gaming room, a smoke-free poker table area, and smoke-free restaurants.  As a result of project strategies, Win River casino management is fully committed to working with CCAP to gather relevant data in order to adopt a 100% smoke-free policy.

Educational Experience:

Participants will learn of significant positive differences in gathering research data with the buy-in of casino management as compared to doing so without their permission; and that building relationships and addressing economic benefits of smoke-free gaming are essential.

Benefits:

Project findings demonstrate that relationship building is crucial to achieving additional smoke-free spaces in tribal casinos, and that this effort is not only entirely feasible, but already well underway.