New Poll Finds Nearly Seven in 10 New Jersey Voters Support Smoke-Fr...( LAWRENCEVILLE N.J. Oct. 31 -- Th...),Health

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

A new poll finds voters from across New Jersey express strong support for 100 percent smoke-free casinos. By more than a two-to-one margin (69 percent to 28 percent), voters support extending the statewide Smoke-Free Air Act to cover casino gaming floors. This support comes from a broad-based coalition of voters across the state, including 72 percent of Democrats, 68 percent of independents and 63 percent of Republicans.

New Jersey residents and visitors have been enjoying the benefits of the Smoke-Free Air Act for more than a year and a previous study found strong support for the statewide law. The new poll confirms that voters are voicing their support for 100 percent smoke-free casinos in the Garden State. The survey of 688 registered New Jersey voters was conducted by the Monmouth University Polling Institute and released today by NJBreathes and the Institute of Medicine and Public Health of New Jersey.

"New Jerseyans have embraced the Smoke-free Air Act and are now expressing their desire for a 100 percent smoke-free casino destination, as well as the need to protect the casino workers who are currently forced to work in hazardous conditions," says Dr. George DiFerdinando, Chair of New Jersey Breathes statewide tobacco control coalition. "These findings certainly point to the need for New Jersey's legislators to take action and extend the Smoke-free Air Act to protect all casino employees in Atlantic City."

Other findings of the survey include:

-- Voters understand the health harms of secondhand smoke. Eighty-six (86) percent of New Jersey voters believe that exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious (66 percent) or moderate (20 percent) health hazard.

-- Voters believe that all casino workers should be protected from secondhand smoke. Eighty-five (85) percent of voters agree that New Jer
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