Second Hand Smoke

Research

Pueblo heart attack study refined
Dr. Carl Bartecchi, primary author of the study on heart attack rates in Pueblo, CO after the implementation of a smoking ban, is currently in the process of refining the study to respond to critiques from journal reviewers. The study found that admissions for heart attacks in Pueblo declined by 27 percent in the 18 months after the city's indoor smoking ban went into effect on July 1, 2003, compared to the 18 months before the ban. Some of the criticisms addressed since the first report include:

1. The seasonality of heart attacks
2. Whether heart attack patients were smokers or nonsmokers
3. Accounting for people who died of a heart attack without being hospitalized
4. General air pollution statistics
5. A discussion of any other major preventive efforts under way at the same time as the smoking ban
6. Whether the ordinance caused people to stop smoking

Click for additional information.

Exposure to ETS influences asthma incidence
NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has issued a report illustrating how environmental tobacco smoke influences the incidence of asthma in both children and adults. Conclusions based on the evidence include:

1. There is some evidence for the effect of maternal smoking in pregnancy on the risk of asthma in childhood.
2. Postnatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke shows a causal link with the
   development of asthma in childhood.
3. There is strong evidence that environmental tobacco smoke is related to an increased risk of adult-onset asthma, and
4. Elimination or reduction of ETS exposure could prevent a considerable fraction of asthma in both children and adults.

Click for the complete article.

Mothers of children with respiratory illnesses found to rationalize smoking
A study presented in the Journal of Sociology and Illness examined mothers’ risk and responsibility associated with their smoking, and suggests that consideration be given to the way these mothers rationalize their smoking. Such consideration would be useful in risk reduction practices associated with smoking around young children with respiratory illnesses. In-depth interviews were conducted with mothers who smoke and whose young children were recently admitted to the hospital with a respiratory illness. Click for information.

More people living in areas limiting smoking
According to the organization Americans for Non-smokers’ Rights (ANR), 39% of Americans are covered by statewide or local laws limiting smoking. The group states that there are currently more than 2,000 such laws. Click for more information or go to the ANR website.

Anti-SHS media related to home smoking restrictions
An article in the January/February 2006 issue of the American Journal of Health Behavior found that, similar to anti-smoking media, anti-SHS media is associated with social cognitions and home smoking restrictions. Click to view the abstract.

Secondhand smoke can damage skin
A Clinique Laboratories study found that SHS damages the skin of non-smokers, causing the breakdown of collagen leading to “Smokers’ Skin”. Click for more information.

Environmental managers agree that secondhand smoke is an air pollutant
A poll conducted by Business and Legal Reports found that out of 515 environmental managers, 75% believe that secondhand smoke should be regulated as a toxic air contaminant. The poll was conducted in response to the California Air Resources Board's formal identification of secondhand smoke as a toxic air contaminant. Click for more information.

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Secondhand smoke identified as toxic air contaminant
The California Air Resources Board has identified secondhand smoke as a toxic air contaminant that may cause and/or contribute to death or serious illness. The conclusion was based on a comprehensive report on exposure and health effects of secondhand smoke. Evaluations also found a link between secondhand smoke exposure and increased incidences of breast cancer in non-smoking, pre-menopausal women. The organization will be evaluating the need for action to reduce exposure. The entire report as well as a fact sheet and addition information can be obtained on the California ARB website. Click for a statement from the American Legacy Foundation on the report.

Ohio:
 
Particulate matter tested in Akron bars
Sponsored by the Summit County Tobacco Prevention Coalition, the Roswell Park Cancer Institute tested restaurants and bars in Akron and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio in December and January. Levels of secondhand smoke in one bar were equal to those of a forest fire or volcanic eruption, with an average 30-minute reading of 2,274. A county Clean Air Ordinance bans indoor smoking in most public places, but the two largest cities have given priority to their older, less restrictive clean-air laws for fear of losing business. Click for additional information.

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Maryland:
 
Cost of secondhand smoke in Maryland is $600 million annually
The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has concluded that the economic cost of exposure to secondhand smoke in Maryland is almost $600 million. The study was released prior to a legislative hearing to debate a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in the state. Click for more information.

New York:
 
NY smoking ban reduces SHS exposure for hospitality workers
An article in the February 2006 issue of the American Journal of Public Health found the New York State Clean Indoor Air Act yielded measurable reductions in SHS exposure for hospitality workers. Click to view the abstract.

Washington:
 
New Washington State secondhand smoke campaign launches
“Take it Outside,” Washington state’s new secondhand smoke advertising campaign, launched January 9 with radio ads, followed by television, outdoor, transit, and posters for multi-unit residential complexes. The key idea of the campaign is to convince people that smoking belongs outside and away from others. The target audience is smokers ages 18 to 49 who live with at least one other non-smoking adult or child; a secondary audience is non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke in the home. View the ads. For more information, contact Scott Schoengarth at 360-236-3634 or scott.schoengarth@doh.wa.gov.
 
Washington’s 2005 secondhand smoke media efforts recognized
The Washington State Department of Health Communications Office and Tobacco Prevention and Control Program recently received a “Bronze Award for Excellence in Public Health Communication” from the National Public Health Information Coalition. The award acknowledges the 2005 secondhand smoke television ads as among the best nationally for outsourced television public service announcements/special audio projects. View the 2005 ads and the just-launched 2006 campaign. For more information, contact Scott Schoengarth at 360-236-3634 or scott.schoengarth@doh.wa.gov.

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Information on smoke-free condominiums available on SFELP website
The Smoke-Free Environments Law Project (SFELP) has been devoting increased time to smoke-free condominium issues, in conjunction with their work on smoke-free apartments issues. To make it easier for others to access information about this topic, they have made some changes in the SFELP web site. The section formerly titled ETS & Apartments and Condominiums has now been divided into two separate sections: ETS & Apartments and ETS & Condominiums. Their other site titled MISmokeFreeApartment.org remains as it was. The new ETS & Condominium site has a number of materials and analyses that SFELP has developed and will shortly have much more. In addition, they have included links to a number of other sites which have valuable information on this topic. Very soon, SFELP will be adding a detailed paper titled “Analysis of the Voluntary and Legal Options of Condominium Owners Confronted with Secondhand Smoke from Another Condominium Unit”.

Web resource on smoke-free bowling
The Bowling Proprietors' Association of America has a new web section about smoke-free air, dispelling many of the negative claims made about smoke-free laws and bowling. Click to access the site.

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Alabama:
 
Alabama county courthouse proposes to move smokers outside
The Madison County Commission is considering the discontinuation of designated smoking areas and the banning of all smoking inside the courthouse, county vehicles, and buildings. The proposal is based on complaints by employees and visitors. Click for more information.

Florida:
 
Melbourne, FL considering no longer hiring smokers
Councilman Richard Contreras wants to ban smokers from taking municipal jobs, including police officers, parks workers and other City Hall personnel. Applicants would be asked about tobacco use during pre-employment screening. Such a smoking restriction in the public sector would be novel. Contreras believes that nonsmokers shouldn’t be responsible for offsetting the costs of health care for smokers. Click for more information.

Indiana:
 
Indiana Statehouse now smoke-free
Indiana House Speaker Brian C. Bosma has led the effort to close the smoking parlor in the Statehouse, criticized after the passage of a smoking ban in all government buildings. Click for more information.

Kentucky:
 
Prisons throughout Kentucky becoming smoke-free
The Kentucky State Reformatory, the state’s largest prison with more than 1,800 inmates and 500 staff members, will become smoke-free by April of this year. The chief of the state’s public defender systems says it will be tough to implement, believing that cigarettes could become a form of contraband behind the walls. The reformatory was chosen as an experimental site because it is the primary medical facility for the prison system. Both staff members and inmates are being offered cessation services. Click for more information.
 
Eastern Kentucky city to ban smoking in city buildings
Even though Kentucky leads the nation in the number of adults who smoke, Floyd County has initiated changes to that ranking. All Prestonsburg city buildings will be smoke-free for the first time. The Floyd County Health Department presented a survey they conducted that shows a strong support of a ban in workplaces and restaurants. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
Smoking ban at county health department in NC goes into effect
Smoking has been banned at the Pitt County Health Department in North Carolina. The ban prohibits smoking within 50 feet of the department’s facility and developmental services building. Click for more information.

West Virginia:
 
West Virginia bans tobacco in prisons
Effective July 1st, tobacco will be prohibited in all state correctional facilities in West Virginia. Click here for more information.

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Arkansas:
 
Arkansas House passes bill to ban smoking at all hospital campuses
The Arkansas House has approved a bill to ban smoking at all hospital campuses and facilities in the state, with violators being fined $25. Click for more information.

Illinois:
 
Illinois hospitals become smoke-free
Soon the entire campus of the St. Mary Medical Center and BroMenn Regional Medical Center will become smoke-free for hospital workers, patients, and visitors. Hospital officials state that they want to set an example for others. Click to view guidelines.

Indiana:
 
Southern Indiana area hospitals going smoke-free
Four Southern Indiana hospitals are eliminating smoking from their facilities and campuses. Clark Memorial Hospital, Floyd Memorial Hospital, Harrison County Hospital and Southern Indiana Rehab Hospital have all agreed to adopt a smoke-free grounds policy. Click for more information.

Kansas:
 
Kansas’ Truman Medical Centers will no longer hire smokers
The CEO of Truman Medical Centers has decided that he will hire no more tobacco users, as part of the hospital system’s efforts to prohibit the use of tobacco products on its campuses. Click for more information.
 
Kansas’ Wesley Medical Center going tobacco-free
Wesley Medical Center in Kansas will go tobacco-free on October 1st. The ban will apply to staff, patients, and visitors. Other health systems within the state are considering doing the same. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
North Carolina hospitals become smoke-free
Following the lead by other hospitals across the nation, Frye Regional Medical Center, Catawba Valley Medical Center, and Caldwell Memorial Hospital and others in western North Carolina will become smoke-free. Click for more information.
 
NC’s Cape Fear Valley Health System bans tobacco use
Effective July 4th, tobacco products will be banned from the campus of Cape Fear Valley Health System. Click for more information.

Wisconsin:
 
Three hospitals in Wisconsin go smoke-free
The three major health systems in Rockford, Wisconsin will all be smoke-free starting November 16th. The decision was made in order to promote health, increase employee productivity, and reduce health care costs. Click for more information.

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Alabama:
 
State workers must report smokers in writing
Alabama state employees who want to report smokers to the state government’s group health plan will soon have to do so in writing. Recently, state workers began paying an additional $20 per month to help reduce health care costs for the state. Soon afterwards, the insurance board began receiving telephone calls reporting people who smoked, but did not claim to smoke on their annual health insurance form. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
Greensboro City Council approves smoking ban for Coliseum
The Greensboro City Council approved a smoking ban inside the Greensboro Coliseum to take effect in March. The state’s general assembly last year exempted the coliseum. An outdoor smoking area will be created. Click for more information.

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New website lists smokefree hotels
FreshStay™ has launched an online directory of smoke-free hotel properties. Over 120 have joined the list since the website launched only one month ago. Thirty-seven states and 93 cities are represented. Click to access the website.

California:
 
Disneyland resort to become smoke-free
As of March 1st, all 2,224 hotel rooms at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim will be smoke-free. The decision was made due to decreases in the number of requests for smoking rooms. The Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel will both become smoke-free; the Grand Californian is already smoke-free. Currently, there are no plans to make hotels at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida smoke-free. Click for more information.

Iowa:
 
Smoke-free hotel in Cedar Rapids, IA
Effective March 1st, the Holiday Inn Express in Cedar Rapids will be the first large hotel/motel in Iowa to go smoke-free. Click for more information.
 
Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Iowa will be smoke-free
Opening in August of 2006, the Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center in Iowa will be smoke-free. Operated by Marriott International, the hotel also plans to donate a percentage of guest room receipts in 2006 to the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center for tobacco-related research. Click for more information.

South Carolina:
 
Resort hotel in Myrtle Beach becomes smoke-free
South Carolina’s Camelot by the Sea, an oceanfront resort in Myrtle Beach, has designated its entire property smoke-free. The policy applies to all rooms, restaurants and bars, pool deck, boardwalk, and parking lot. Click for more information.

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Six Flags parks to be smoke-free
A new company policy will ban smoking in all of Six Flags’ theme parks across the country. According to Mark Shapiro, Six Flags President and CEO, "Making our parks smoke-free will be an enhancement to the quality of the Six Flags experience, and our guests will think so too -- nobody should be forced to dodge clouds of smoke when they're strolling through the park with their children. Designating specific smoking zones will allow for a cleaner, friendlier park atmosphere where families can enjoy spending their day." Click for more information.

California:
 
San Diego transit system to ban smoking at bus and train stops
San Diego County has made all bus and train stops smoke-free. The identification of secondhand smoke as an airborne toxic contaminant by the California Air Resources Board contributed to the county’s decision. Click for more information.
 
Smoke-free beaches in Del Mar and possibly Monterey
The Del Mar City Council has voted unanimously to ban smoking at its beaches and parks. Click for more information. Also, Monterey is considering a smoking ban ordinance similar to the one adopted by the city of Carmel. The ordinance would ban the use of tobacco products within the boundaries of Monterey beaches. Click for more information.
 
Calabasas bans outdoor smoking in outdoor areas
The City of Calabasas has banned smoking in virtually all outdoor spaces in the city, including streets, sidewalks, and restaurant outdoor areas. There was little public outcry in response to the move. Click for more information.
 
San Diego Padres’ Petco Park now smokefree
Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, has implemented a ban on smoking inside the gates. Click for more information.

Minnesota:
 
Hermantown, MN bans tobacco at city parks
The Hermantown City Council voted unanimously to prohibit tobacco use at all city parks. The city will receive free signs to advertise the new policy from the American Lung Association and Tobacco-free Youth Association. Click for more information.

Pennsylvania:
 
Smoking banned in Upper Southampton, PA parks
Smoking has been banned in all township-owned recreation and park areas in Upper Southampton, Pennsylvania. Click here for more information.

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Illinois:
 
University of Illinois at Chicago reviewing smoking ban
Now that Chicago has passed a city Clean Indoor Air Ordinance, the University of Illinois at Chicago is reviewing its smoking policy to ensure compliance. UIC already has a ban in place that bans smoking indoors, but may not comply with entrance restrictions. However, the UIC campus is being considered state property, and so is exempt from many Chicago regulations. Click for additional information.

Kentucky:
 
University of Louisville students discuss smoking ban
Following the passage of a smoking ban in the city of Louisville, students at the University of Louisville are discussing restricting smoking on the school’s campus. Click for more information.

Michigan:
 
Washtenaw Community College in Michigan goes smoke-free
Washtenaw Community College has adopted a smoke-free campus policy, and Eastern Michigan University is considering following suit. EMU currently bans smoking within 25 feet of all building entrances, windows, or air intake ducts in order to be in compliance with Michigan state law. Click for more information.

Missouri:
 
Jefferson City public schools go tobacco-free
Public schools in Jefferson City, MO are going tobacco-free, effective March 1st. The ban will apply at all school activities and at non-school sponsored activities that take place at school facilities. Click for more information.

Nebraska:
 
Student body president at University of Nebraska at Omaha wants to ban smoking
The newly elected student body president at the University of Nebraska at Omaha plans to examine the possibility of enacting a campus-wide smoking ban. Click for more information.

New Jersey:
 
County College of Morris, New Jersey debating smoke-free policy
Students at County College of Morris are debating whether their campus should be the first in the state of New Jersey to become smoke-free. A group of concerned students want to ban smoking outside the school on walkways and in parking lots. Click for more information.

New Mexico:
 
New Mexico State University considering smoking ban
The University Safety Committee at New Mexico State University is considering changing the current campus smoking policy due to concerns regarding the health hazards of secondhand smoke. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
Schools in Davie, NC school system go tobacco-free
The Davie County Board of Education approved a 100 percent tobacco-free policy. The ban will take effect in August. Click for more information.

North Dakota:
 
Tobacco free campus at Bismarck State College in North Dakota
On January 1st Bismarck State College (BSC) became the first college in North Dakota to adopt a tobacco-free campus. The new policy states that smoking and the use of chewing tobacco are prohibited anywhere in the BSC buildings, on BSC property and/or BSC rented property by employees, students, visitors, and contractors. In an article in the BSC Campus Newsletter, BSC President, Donna S. Thigpen says she and her cabinet discussed this policy at length before making the final decision in October. “We want to provide a healthy atmosphere for students, employees and visitors,” she said, “We think this policy will help us do that.” Students and employees were informed about the new policy during the fall semester. Click to view the Tobacco Free Campus Policy at BSC’s Web site. Click on General Policies or student policies and then Tobacco Free Campus.

Ohio:
 
Coalition seeks to make Kent State University and city of Kent smoke-free
The Portage County Tobacco Prevention Coalition plans to promote a smoke-free policy at Kent State University and the City of Kent. Click for more information.

Tennessee:
 
Austin Peay State University in TN enacts tobacco ban
The smoking ban at Tennessee’s Austin Peay State University is being extended to include smoke-free tobacco products as well. The ban will being in July. The issue of allowing smoking in parking areas will be revisited in July 2007. Click for more information.

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Illinois:
 
Some Chicago restaurants voluntarily go smoke-free in anticipation of ban
Although restaurants bars and taverns have 2.5 years to comply with the newly passed ban in Chicago, some bars are already going smoke-free. Click to view a list.

Montana:
 
Four more restaurants go smoke-free in Missoula
This article details restaurants in Missoula, MT that have recently gone smoke-free. Click for additional information.

Nebraska:
 
Local Nebraska restaurants become smoke-free for a day
On Valentine’s Day, three North Platte restaurants offered diners a smoke-free environment for the entire day. The Great Plains Regional Medical Center also extended its smoking ban beyond the inside of the building to the entire hospital campus. The community continues to debate whether to have a clean indoor air policy. Click for more information.

Nevada:
 
Six Hilton restaurants in Reno go smoke-free
Six restaurants at the Hilton in Reno have gone smoke-free based on customer feedback. Click for more information.

North Carolina:
 
Tobacco Road Waffle House to be smoke-free
The four largest U.S. tobacco companies are located on Tobacco Road in central North Carolina. Soon, the nearby Waffle House will become smoke-free, along with three out of the state’s 37 outlets. The owner explains that he is trying to appeal to as many customers as possible, since some stopped eating there because they would leave smelling like cigarette smoke. Click for more information.

Ohio:
 
Akron restaurants go smoke-free
Many restaurants in Akron, Ohio are going smoke-free voluntarily, despite fears of driving away some customers. Click for more information.

Wisconsin:
 
Annual guide to smoke-free restaurants in Racine, WI
The Racine On the Lake Tobacco Free Coalition publishes an annual guide to Racine area smoke-free restaurants. To be listed, the restaurant cannot allow smoking anywhere inside the premises, by customers or employees. Click for more information.

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New York:
 
New York co-op votes to become smoke-free
The board of the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums has decided to become smoke-free. Residents have been complaining of smoke traveling throughout the building. A survey by the New York Coalition for a Smoke-Free City found that more than 69 percent of New Yorkers want to live in a smoke-free building. The coalition also found that nearly 50 percent would pay more for the privilege. Click for more information.

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