A former worker at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, NJ who claims that his lung cancer was caused by decades of exposure to second hand smoke, is suing the casino. Rennich says he has never smoked and blames the illness on his 25 year career on the gaming floors in the Tropicana. He had a third of his lung removed in September 2005.Vince Rennich claims they fired him for speaking out in favor of a smoking ban. The ban was originally written to ban smoking in all 11 casinos, but the council later compromised and lowered the ban to cover 75 percent of the gambling floor. The ban took place April 15.
Rennich was fired a week after testifying before a state Senate committee about the risks of second hand smoke. His lawsuit claims that he should have been protected under the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, known as the "whistleblower" law.
Rennich has not been able to find work and is currently paying over $1,300 a month just to have health insurance for him and his family. That money is coming from his savings and various fundraisers held by family and friends.
The city I live in recently banned smoking. I, along with many other people, breathed a huge sigh of relief when the ban was implemented (literally!) because it sometimes seemed downright impossible to have a social life in a city where smoking was allowed in almost all restaurants and bars. I recall an argument I had with someone who was upset because not being allowed to smoke in a public place was unconstitutional -- it was his right to smoke wherever he pleased and if people don't like it, they shouldn't go out. Ever.
