Despite people's belief that tobacco smokers are only hurting themselves, the evidence and facts show that people can be harmed from secondhand smoke. It's your right not to be harmed.

Secondhand Smoke

  • Individuals have the right to smoke so long as they don't expose others involuntarily to the dangerous chemicals found in secondhand smoke - this concern has already led to smoking restriction on all U.S. Airlines, at airports, in most sporting facilities and concert halls, in schools, most businesses, government buildings, movie theatres, hospitals, libraries and already existing restaurants throughout the state of California, New York City, Delaware, Italy, Ireland and Sweden.

  • Asking individuals to restrain from going to particular venues or to restrict activities simply to protect their own health from secondhand smoke is unfair and many times unrealistic

  • The response, "Individuals who don't like working in a place that allows smoking should find a new job," is unfair because the bottomline is, securing a job is not always easy. And often times the jobs that expose individuals to smoke are the same jobs that offer availability and flexibility to those who need it

  • There are many laws designed to protect workers from dangerous conditions, so it should not be a surprise when laws are made to protect individuals from the cancer-causing agents found in secondhand smoke

  • Secondhand smoke increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). - Center for Disease Control

  • Secondhand smoke causes between 150,000 and 300,000 cases of bronchitis, pneumonia and other lower respiratory tract infections in infants up to 18 months of age each year. These infections result in 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations each year. - American Lung Association

  • Secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer in adult nonsmokers. In fact, it is estimated to cause approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths in nonsmokers each year. - Environmental Protection Agency

  • Exposure to secondhand smoke increases the severity and frequency of asthma episodes. - American Lung Association and the Environmental Protection Agency

  • "The tobacco industry has had evidence of the dangers of secondhand smoke for three decades. The tobacco industry considered this knowledge so potentially devastating that it has engaged in a relentless and ruthless series of assaults on the scientific rationale behind more than 800 local clean indoor air ordinances in the U.S." - U.S. News, August 3, 1998

  • Young children who are exposed to secondhand smoke have a much higher rate of tooth decay than children who do not grow up around smokers.

Find more information about secondhand smoke and things you can do about it at the following sites:

Things You Can Do

Exposure to secondhand smoke can seriously damage your health. Thousands suffer lung cancer, heart disease or death. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to protect yourself and your loved ones at home and in public. Here are some helpful tips.

EATING OUT

  • Patronize smoke-free restaurants. (Visit the smoke-free dining guide on this site for restaurants in your area.)

  • When you visit a restaurant that allows smoking, voice your displeasure. If you decide to stay, insist on an area far from the smoking section.

  • When visiting smoke free restaurants, compliment the managers on their decision to be smoke free, and let them know that's why you're there.

  • Tell your friends about the smoke free dining guide.

  • Visit restaurants with clearly defined nonsmoking sections. (Check Zagat's or reviews in newspapers for recommendations.)

If there is no smoke-free option available:

  • Refuse tables nearest the smoking section.

  • Select restaurants with outdoor eating areas.

  • Dine early, before smoke builds up.

AT HOME

  • Establish a smoke-free home.

  • Do not allow babysitters or others who work in your home to smoke.

  • If they need to smoke, ask smoking guests or family members to smoke outside of the house. Suggest the porch or deck.

  • Encourage your loved ones to quit. (For help visit The Quit Line section or call 1-877-270-STOP.)

  • Do not smoke around young children. (Secondhand smoke makes them susceptible to coughs, colds, and more severe problems in the future.)

ON THE JOB
(25% of Wisconsin workplaces still allow smoking as do some municipal buildings.)

  • Speak to your employer about the many business benefits of going smoke-free. Be sure to mention employees suffer fewer illnesses and miss fewer workdays. For more information contact your local coalition. (You may visit the "Taking Action Locally" section of this site for information on contacting your local coalition.)

  • Request a smoke-free work area. Let people you work with know that you prefer them not to smoke around you.

  • Avoid exits where smokers congregate.

  • If smoking is permitted in the cafeteria, opt for eating at your desk. On nicer days, choose an area outside.

  • To avoid secondhand smoke entirely, consider employment opportunities within smoke-free workplaces.

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