The case for clean indoor air
2006
The Case for Clean Indoor Air
Commentary
Author Information
Author(s): Fred M Jacobs
Primary Institution: New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
Hypothesis
Is smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke a significant public health threat?
Conclusion
Smoking and secondhand smoke are major public health threats that cause numerous preventable deaths.
Supporting Evidence
- More people die from tobacco than from alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides combined.
- Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing 53,000 non-smokers each year.
- Smoking causes about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80 percent in women.
- Prior to the smoking ban in New York, bar and restaurant employees reported being exposed to 12 hours of smoke over a four-day period; that figure dropped to 12 minutes in 2004.
- Business tax receipts in restaurants and bars were up 8.7 percent a year after the smoking ban in New York.
- Employment in restaurants and bars increased by 10,600 after the smoking ban in New York.
Takeaway
Smoking is really bad for your health and can hurt other people too, even if they don't smoke. We need to make places smoke-free to keep everyone safe.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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