You might observe that modern Western atheists almost to a man also deny mind-body dualism or the existence of the soul, and regard mind, emotion, will, indeed all the attributes of personhood as epiphenomina of chemical reactions in the brain.
Buddhists are atheists, and don’t deny something after death: rather they are trying to escape from what they think comes after death—rebirth.
I guess the best thing would be to poll the atheists here on FR. How would a Buddhist try to escape something they believe will happen? Maybe some FR Buddhists would answer also.