My work this summer with the American Heart Association focuses on promoting the rights of casino workers. One of the main goals is to make casinos smoke-free environments, ensuring that workers have access to clean air.

I have written two poems from the perspective of a casino worker. With permission, many details are based on an interview I completed with a casino worker in the Philadelphia area. The poems intend to 1) draw attention to the struggles of casino workers (secondhand smoke, exacerbated health conditions, rude customers, management keen on maintaining the status quo, ineffective casino smoking policies, etc.) and 2) highlight the under-appreciated nature of casino workers in the workplace.