Non-VIP areas have been clear of tobacco since 2013. A poll conducted by the University of Macau earlier this year found that the general public supports allowing casinos to offer .
The tobacco zones must be updated to the new regulations by January 1, 2019. Macau s Health Bureau will hold the right to include informative materials on the dangers of smoking inside the spaces.
Smoking and casinos have gone together over the decades almost like America and apple pie. Despite education on the health dangers of cigarettes, today many slot machine players and table game patrons still enjoy their casino experiences with a lit cigarette in hand.
When casinos are forced to put out their customers smokes, operators say it hurts their bottom lines.
Caesars claims a no-smoking ordinance in resort almost $70 million in just two years after the regulation was implemented. Other cities that have casinos, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for instance, have followed suit in making sure casino workers have clean airspaces to make their living.
Horrifying StatisticsWhile smoking has decreased in the US over the last 50 years, from over 42 percent of adults smoking in 1965 to just 15 percent last year, in China, 48 percent of the population still lights up on a daily basis. The World Health Organization (WHO) says there are over 300 million tobacco users in China, nearly one-third of the world s total.
WHO reports that tobacco use is responsible for the deaths of one million Chinese each year, or approximately one death every 30 seconds.
Secondhand smoke has the same harmful carcinogen chemicals that smokers inhale, according to the American Cancer Society. In a typical week, 70 percent of Chinese adults are exposed to secondhand smoke.
To try and reduce consumption, the Macau government has continually raised taxes on the sale of tobacco products. Last year, the tariff was tripled from MOP 0.5 to MOP 1.5, an increase of 13 cents.
