It's been a while since I've given an update on our smoke-free casinos project funded by CPPW... many of you got the chance to meet with LaShawnda at the Story Circle training so you have a face to put with the name! As a starting point, we're focusing on one major casino in Lac du Flambeau.Our Knowledge is Growing...
- Our casino employee survey (n=400) shows that folks who work in the casino are more likely to smoke, nearly double that of the general population.
- Our patron survey (n=1200, which was actually paid for BY the casino, including a 10 free play incentive) shows significant majorities in attitudes toward going smoke-free.
Our Progress is Slowing...
There is a lot of need being identified for basic education about secondhand smoke exposure as a significant health danger. Politically, Tribal Council just turned over and it's clear that though our few advocates are strong, we don't have the right advocates from the right tribes engaged. Also we haven't found our key tribal storytellers yet (or built the trust to be able to ask for and capture them) so we're choosing to start with a captive audience of youth.
Lots of learning is happening, and it's going to take time to chip away at one of the state's most prominent health disparities.
Have you been to a Wisconsin casino?
Went to a casino this summer in the UP. After 15 minutes we left because the smoke was bothering us. We weren't even there long enough to loose money. There has been no talk of going to casinos since then.
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