ARTICLE : Casino patrons and employees alike are raising concern over the poor air quality in the smoking areas of local casinos at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has received more than 30 complaints from patrons about poor air quality and gamblers lighting up in non-smoking areas.
“Most of the floors in MBS are smoking areas and after being in there for an hour or so, I start coughing and feeling uncomfortable,” 56-year-old patron Margaret Choi tells Yahoo! Singapore.
Another RWS patron Madam Lee Geok Lan, 70, also told The Straits Times that signages were poor in RWS’ casino and that she had trouble finding the non-smoking area.
It is not just the patrons who are disgruntled. Some dealers who work in the smoking areas of the casino are worried about the ill-effects of their long exposure to second-hand smoke.
An NEA spokesman acknowledges that there had been complaints about smoking violations when the casinos first opened, but claims the integrated resorts (IR) have since taken action including displaying “No Smoking” signs more clearly and reducing available entrances and exits in smoking areas.
The IRs, unlike other public places, have been left out of moves over the years to curb smoking indoors. They are allowed to draw up their own house rules on smoking and non-smoking areas. This is despite the ban against smoking in nightspots that took effect in July 2007 and the prohibition of lighting up within 5 metres of entrances of exits and buildings since January last year.
At RWS, more than 60% of the casino is smoke-free. However, at MBS, only one of the four floors is devoted to gambling for non-smoking patrons. As a result, casino employees are consistently exposed to second-hand smoke at work.
Richard Chua, 55, who recently visited MBS’ casino told Yahoo! Singapore, “Even though the second-hand smoke is not that big a deal for me since I only visit once in awhile, it can’t be healthy for those working there everyday.”
A typical shift for a dealer lasts eight hours, with workers getting a break every one to two hours. This adds up to almost six hours of smoke exposure a day. Working on a rostered basis, some may spend many days working in smoking areas before being posted to non-smoking ones.
Several casino staff have expressed unhappiness over having to breathe second-hand smoke for such long working hours everyday. While some have quit, others are putting up with the situation for fear of losing their jobs, and have not raised the matter to the management.
One MBS dealer told The Straits Times she had developed a lingering cough because of the second-hand smoke and said, “I was on medical leave three times within the first month of work.”
Others agreed, saying working in the smoking areas can be unbearable because the small gaming tables increases their proximity to surrounding smokers.
An MBS spokesman explains that ”all employees working in the casino were informed that their work environment will have smoking components.”
He adds that MBS is “committed to managing air flow and air quality” and that they have invested in air treatment and filtration systems similar to those used in hospitals.
RWS also told The Straits Times that it was “constantly monitoring and implementing ways to improve the air quality of the casino” to ensure patrons and workers are given a pleasant gaming and working environment.
The Ministry of Manpower, when asked if the issue of second-hand smoke came under the Workplace Safety and Health framework and what employees could do, said, “MOM encourages employees who have concerns about their work environment to raise them with their employers to work out practical solutions.”
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has received more than 30 complaints from patrons about poor air quality and gamblers lighting up in non-smoking areas.
“Most of the floors in MBS are smoking areas and after being in there for an hour or so, I start coughing and feeling uncomfortable,” 56-year-old patron Margaret Choi tells Yahoo! Singapore.
Another RWS patron Madam Lee Geok Lan, 70, also told The Straits Times that signages were poor in RWS’ casino and that she had trouble finding the non-smoking area.
It is not just the patrons who are disgruntled. Some dealers who work in the smoking areas of the casino are worried about the ill-effects of their long exposure to second-hand smoke.
An NEA spokesman acknowledges that there had been complaints about smoking violations when the casinos first opened, but claims the integrated resorts (IR) have since taken action including displaying “No Smoking” signs more clearly and reducing available entrances and exits in smoking areas.
The IRs, unlike other public places, have been left out of moves over the years to curb smoking indoors. They are allowed to draw up their own house rules on smoking and non-smoking areas. This is despite the ban against smoking in nightspots that took effect in July 2007 and the prohibition of lighting up within 5 metres of entrances of exits and buildings since January last year.
At RWS, more than 60% of the casino is smoke-free. However, at MBS, only one of the four floors is devoted to gambling for non-smoking patrons. As a result, casino employees are consistently exposed to second-hand smoke at work.
Richard Chua, 55, who recently visited MBS’ casino told Yahoo! Singapore, “Even though the second-hand smoke is not that big a deal for me since I only visit once in awhile, it can’t be healthy for those working there everyday.”
A typical shift for a dealer lasts eight hours, with workers getting a break every one to two hours. This adds up to almost six hours of smoke exposure a day. Working on a rostered basis, some may spend many days working in smoking areas before being posted to non-smoking ones.
Several casino staff have expressed unhappiness over having to breathe second-hand smoke for such long working hours everyday. While some have quit, others are putting up with the situation for fear of losing their jobs, and have not raised the matter to the management.
One MBS dealer told The Straits Times she had developed a lingering cough because of the second-hand smoke and said, “I was on medical leave three times within the first month of work.”
Others agreed, saying working in the smoking areas can be unbearable because the small gaming tables increases their proximity to surrounding smokers.
An MBS spokesman explains that ”all employees working in the casino were informed that their work environment will have smoking components.”
He adds that MBS is “committed to managing air flow and air quality” and that they have invested in air treatment and filtration systems similar to those used in hospitals.
RWS also told The Straits Times that it was “constantly monitoring and implementing ways to improve the air quality of the casino” to ensure patrons and workers are given a pleasant gaming and working environment.
The Ministry of Manpower, when asked if the issue of second-hand smoke came under the Workplace Safety and Health framework and what employees could do, said, “MOM encourages employees who have concerns about their work environment to raise them with their employers to work out practical solutions.”
Comment: Singapore, a clean and green environment , should ban smoking in the casino. Smoking in the casino has caused several problems and concern over on the poor quality of air in the casino itself. The smoker will not just affect the players that are around him but also affect the non-managerial employees working in the casino. Breathing in second-hand smoke has always been known to be more detrimental to health than first-hand smoke.
Furthermore, it affects not only the health of the players but also the performances of the players. Health is the most important factor to why we should ban smoking in the casino. It had been said," To reach a thousand steps, it is to take the first step", we must know that though banning smoking in the casino is just a step to ensuring a free-smoking environment in the casino but it is also a step making us closer to a free-smoking Singapore.
Done by: Hans
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