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Letter from Casino Worker with Secondhand Lung Cancer

By Joseph W. Cherner  

Parts excerpted from smokefreecasinsos.com

My name is Vincent Rennich and I am a life long resident of Somers Point, New Jersey. I have been married for 25 years and have two children. I have worked as a casino table games supervisor for the past quarter century.

A radiologist noticed something unusual on my x-rays and CT scans. After further consultations, it was determined that I had lung cancer. This past September, I had the top right lobe of my lung removed.

Having never smoked cigarettes or used any tobacco products, this [lung cancer diagnosis] came as quite a shock. It seemed pretty clear that this was the result of being exposed to secondhand smoke.

My goal is to have a smoke-free environment for my many friends and co-workers and the thousands of men and women that work on the casino floor. We all deserve the same rights that are afforded to everyone else in the state of New Jersey.

This is not an economic issue. It is a health issue. I understand that revenue is the main concern of the casino industry. However, we can no longer ignore the overwhelming medical evidence on the dangers of secondhand smoke. The safety, health and welfare of dedicated casino employees and their families have to be the number one priority.

I, and the tens of thousands of my colleagues have been in harms way far too long. We shouldn't have to choose between our health and our jobs. Please help me rid our workplace from this hazard. If you believe casino workers are not 2nd class citizens and deserve the same rights and protection that all other New Jersey workers receive, please join me!

My sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone for your support and well wishes.

Sincerely,
Vinny Rennich