8/25/10: Pennsylvania allows the Sands Bethlehem slot casino to increase smoking on the gaming floor from 25% to 50%
The Pennsylvania Clean Air Act of 2008 permits the expansion. Click here to read the news article.
The Sands Bethlehem press release dated August 24, 2009 states high demand from guests as the reason for permitting smoking at more slot machines, and "...The casino, which features a state-of-the-art air filtration system originally designed to handle smoking on 100 percent of the floor, will continue to feature smoke-free zones on 50 percent of the gaming floor." GASP believes that allowing smoking on any part of the gaming floor, let alone 50%, obviates any sort of "smoke-free zones", since the secondhand smoke mixes throughout the air,as proven by countless air testing studies in casinos, including the 2009 NIOSH report.
After the announcement to increase smoking to 50% of the Sand's gaming floor, the Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Express-Times on August 26, 2009 issued an editorial that supports 100% smokefree casinos in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Last update: 4/11/11