Las Vegas blackjack dealer sues Caesars over secondhand smoke

A former Las Vegas dealer and other plaintiffs filed a class-action lawsuit against Caesars Palace and Harrah's Entertainment Inc. on Wednesday for not doing enough to protect their workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

The lead plaintiff, Tomo Stephens, quit her job as a blackjack dealer on June 16 after 20 years, at the advice of her doctor. Stephens' doctor found precancerous cells in her stomach, and the lawsuit said she has suffered from several other health problems over the years because of secondhand smoke.

The suit says that Caesars has not done enough to protect its workers from secondhand smoke (other than a few smoke-free poker rooms), and even encourages its customers to smoke by selling cigarettes and cigars on the gaming floor.

The plaintiffs are not seeking monetary damages. Instead, they want Caesars to take "reasonable measures" to protect its employees from secondhand smoke and require Harrah's to provide pamphlets in their wellness center about the dangers of secondhand smoke.

(Check out the Las Vegas Sun story about it.)