Kansas casino workers create organization to end smoking in casinos

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Casino workers in Kansas have joined together to create C.E.A.S.E Kansas, an organization aimed at stopping smoking in casinos.

The acronym stands for Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects. The charter, founded by Kansas casino security worker Joe Hafley, is the fourth of its kind in the nation.

According to C.E.A.S.E., Kansas is one of eleven states that still allow smoking inside casinos. C.E.A.S.E. Kansas hopes to cross Kansas off that list.

Hafley told KCTV5 second-hand smoke is giving him health problems.

“I’ve been working in a casino for almost five and half years. Just tired of dealing with the smoke and getting home and smelling like smoke every day, having to take a shower as soon as I get home,” Hafley said. “I have been diagnosed with COPD and I also have bronchitis, pneumonia, and strep throat once a year since I started working in the casino.”

Hafley also told KCTV5 that several local lawmakers have sponsored legislation to get rid of smoking in casinos, but those bills have not become law.

C.E.A.S.E. is part of a national worker coalition who wants to end smoking in casinos. They also have charters in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.