Anniversary of the Smoking in Public Places Law Finds Washington a Healthier Place to Live
Two years after the implementation of Initiative 901—which prohibited smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces, including bars and restaurants—Washington is a healthier place to live. Research demonstrates the new Smoking in Public Places law’s positive impact on public health:

• Thousands of service workers are protected from deadly secondhand smoke
• Indoor air pollution has significantly decreased
• More people are quitting tobacco

Have you experienced secondhand smoke in an indoor public place recently? Click here to report a violation.

For helpful tips on quitting tobacco, visit www.quitline.com.

Acting Surgeon General Announces National Initiatives to Protect Children from Secondhand Smoke
On September 18, acting Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H. joined with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to call on pediatricians to help parents eliminate children's exposure to secondhand smoke and provide information to help parents quit smoking.  The announcement coincides with the release of Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure, an excerpt from the 2006 Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke.  The excerpt summarizes key scientific evidence on the serious health risks that secondhand smoke poses to children and serves as the anchor for intensified action on the issue.  Children and Secondhand Smoke Exposure: Fact Sheet, Full Text.

Indoor Air Pollution Decreases by 88 Percent in Bars and Restaurants
According to results of air quality monitoring tests conducted by the American Lung Association of Washington, air pollution decreased by 88 percent in bars and restaurants following the implementation of the Smoking in Public Places Law. Before the law took effect, the air was as much as two and a half times more polluted than the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended exposure levels for a 24-hour period.

Surgeon General’s Report on dangers of secondhand smoke
A new report by the Surgeon General confirms that secondhand smoke is not only dangerous, it’s a killer. Each year in the United States, secondhand smoke is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and tens of thousands of coronary heart disease deaths among people who have never smoked. The report warns that no amount of secondhand smoke exposure is safe.

Key findings from the report also reveal that exposure to secondhand smoke at home or work increases a nonsmoker’s risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent and lung cancer by 20 to 30 percent. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate negative effects on the cardiovascular system and interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood and vascular systems in ways that increase the risk of a heart attack.

Read more about the health effects of secondhand smoke and how to make your home smoke-free.

Visit the Surgeon General’s Web site to read more about the report.

This Web site contains information on the revised Clean Indoor Air Act (RCW 70.160). It is not legal advice. This information cannot be considered as a substitute for legal advice from and representation by a qualified attorney.

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