We especially want to acknowledge the strong leadership from sovereign Tribes to reopen many casinos as smokefree venues for the safety and well-being of staff and customers. We celebrate the announcements we are seeing on social media and in the news that a wide range of hospitality and gaming venues intend to reopen their doors with smokefree indoor air policies. While cities and states prepare plans for phased approaches to open the economy, many business owners are making smokefree indoor air part of that plan. Understandably, businesses are eager to reopen their doors and resume providing a safe and healthy customer experience. Now more than ever, reducing exposure to respiratory risk factors seems imperative, and we strongly recommend removing secondhand smoke from indoor environments and encourage those who currently smoke to quit. Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke are risk factors for susceptibility to more severe COVID-19 symptoms because of their impact on underlying health conditions like diminished lung function, weakened immune system, and associated risk of respiratory illness.
