Overview
Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in America. As US Surgeon General Richard Carmona concluded in a 2006 report, there is no safe level of exposure to second hand smoke.
Secondhand smoke contains 69 different chemicals which cause cancer, and nationwide, kills at least 53,000 nonsmokers a year, including 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 coronary heart disease deaths. Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, lower chronic ear infections, and perinatal death among children, and lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, heart disease, stroke, cervical cancer and asthma among adults.
Smoke-free bars and restaurants ensures that our children and families are not unnecessarily exposed to secondhand smoke and the increased health risks associated with it.
The new statewide law will protect the health of our families and children by making public workplaces, including bars and restaurants, smoke free.
