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Smoke agitates casino workers 

Much of her eight-hour shift is spent overseeing craps tables, roulette wheels and blackjack tables, where smoke from cigars and cigarettes hovers. Whenever she gets a break, she hits the Boardwalk for a breath of fresh air.

Zarych, 45, would like to quit her $50,000-a-year Atlantic City job, but she has two young daughters to support. . . .

The study, by biophysicist James Repace, found that casino and bar workers are exposed to particulate pollution at far greater levels than the government allows outdoors. . . .

While smoking bans protect many U.S. workers, those who deal cards and serve drinks in casinos get no relief. Many gamblers like to smoke, and casinos do not want to alienate them by banning smoking. . . .

Smoking-ban advocates say the deck is stacked in casinos' favor, thanks to the industry's political clout and the tax revenues it produces. . . .

"You can't walk away." he said. "You're tied to the table for an hour, and it doesn't matter whether they light up five cigars or six cigarettes. You have to stand there and breathe it. The casino operators say, 'Hey, you don't like it, find another job.' "

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