Secondhand smoke and Smoke-Free Policy

Smoke-free Policy in Kentucky 2006 is designed for policymakers and community advocates who want to know more about the health effects of secondhand smoke and the effects of smoke-free laws on communities. Secondhand smoke is a toxic air contaminant. Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Secondhand smoke affects nearly every organ of the body, causing heart disease, lung and other cancers, breathing disorders such as asthma, and sudden infant death syndrome. Most Kentuckians do not smoke, but at least 74% are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in public places. Comprehensive smoke-free laws protect smokers and nonsmokers from secondhand smoke. Smoke-free laws significantly reduce air pollution. Workers who experience smoke-free laws have an almost immediate improvement in breathing symptoms. Lexington’s hospitality workers showed a dramatic 56% decline in hair nicotine levels in just three months after the smoke-free law took effect. The majority of workers and the public like smoke- free laws. There is no scientific evidence that smoke-free laws harm business. Currently, only 6.9% of Kentuckians are covered by comprehensive smoke- free laws. An additional 19.1% are covered by partial smoke-free laws. In these communities, some workers are protected from secondhand smoke, and the public is protected some of the time. Some schools and some workplaces have voluntarily adopted policies to reduce exposure to secondhand smoke. Less than half (46.6%) of Kentucky public and private middle and high schools prohibit smoking everywhere on their campuses. Similarly, 49% of Kentucky manufacturing facilities voluntarily prohibit indoor smoking. Healthy People 2010 is a nationwide health promotion initiative grounded in science and designed to promote health and prevent illness, disability, and premature death. Is Kentucky making progress toward the Healthy People 2010 Objectives for eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke? There is some progress toward increasing the percentage of smoke-free environments at schools and workplaces; and in reducing the proportion of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke by implementing comprehensive smoke-free policies in public places