The Ironic Smoking Situation in Atlantic City This Summer

In one of the weirdest situations ever, you're allowed to smoke inside in Atlantic City, but not outside in Atlantic City.

Smoking inside - good. Smoking outside - bad.

That's not exactly the case, but it's pretty darn close.

What's going on with smoking in Atlantic City

I've noticed over the years that the number of people who smoke has dramatically dropped, especially over the last ten or 15 years. If I see someone smoking, I think to myself (and sometimes even say it out loud), "People still smoke?"

That's the case almost everywhere. Well, everywhere except Atlantic City.

If you go into casinos, people still smoke. They're allowed to smoke in the casinos. People still smoke on the boardwalk. A lot. Atlantic City is like a smoking island.

Changes are coming

Atlantic City officials have recently announced a crackdown on smoking on the boardwalk. No smoking - no smoking of tobacco products and no smoking of marijuana. (The marijuana smoking can be very overwhelming at times. The smell....)

Officials say complaints from both residents and visitors have led to the crackdown.

Atlantic City Police will be policing the boardwalk, and doing so thanks to a $3 million grant. (That seems like a lot, right?) Supposedly, those caught breaking the smoking ban will receive a fine.

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Go inside to smoke

So, where does a smoker go if he or she wants to smoke? Inside one of the city's casinos, where smoking is A OK!

Kind of ironic, right?

One group is not too happy about this - and, truthfully, they haven't been happy about the whole "smoking in the casino" thing for a long time. That's the casino workers.

CEASE, which stands for Casino Employees Against Smoking (Harmful) Effects, has come out against this whole smoking situation: "The seagulls have more rights and health protections than us. It's time for the city and the state to recognize the common sense here: if visitors don't want smoking outside in Atlantic City, they definitely don't want it inside."

Pete Naccarelli is a long-time table games dealer in Atlantic City and a co-founder of CEASE. He says, "While Atlantic City and the CRDA spend millions to get the smoke off the boardwalk, workers inside the casino are left to suffer."

CEASE is again, for about the millionth time, calling for smoking to be banned inside the casinos. It's a call that will probably continue to fall on deaf ears.

So, recapping: Smoking outside in Atlantic City - bad. Smoking inside in Atlantic City - good.