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. But, it won’t be easy – the tobacco
companies hate this idea, and unfortunately, the lobbyists for the bar
owners are taking their side in the Legislature.
We should not let Big Tobacco continue to threaten the health of our
children, families, and workers. Instead, Wisconsin should join
Illinois, Minnesota, and 20 other states in protecting the health of
our families and children by making public workplaces, including bars
and restaurants, smoke free.
