Smoking and Tobacco

Secondhand Smoke: What You Can Do

Remember, there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The U.S. Surgeon General has concluded that breathing even a little secondhand smoke poses a risk to your health. The only way to fully protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of secondhand smoke is through 100% smoke-free environments.

Protect your health

Choose restaurants and bars that are smoke-free. Thank them for being smoke-free.

Let owners of businesses that are not smoke-free know that smoke bothers you. Tell them a "no smoking" section is not good enough.

Protect your children's health

Do not allow anyone to smoke near your child.
Do not smoke or allow others to smoke in your home or car. Opening a window does not protect your children from smoke. Use a smoke-free day care center.
Do not take your child to restaurants or other indoor public places that allow smoking.
Teach older kids to stay away from secondhand smoke.

If you are a smoker, the single best way to protect your family from secondhand smoke is to quit smoking. In the meantime, you can protect your family by making your home and vehicles smoke-free and only smoking outside. A smoke-free home rule can also help you quit smoking.

Join the national trend. Take the Smoke-free Home Pledge by calling the toll-free Smoke-free Home Pledge Hotline at 1-866-SMOKE-FREE (1-866-766-5337) or visiting www.epa.gov/smokefree/.

To access a telephone quitline serving your area, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visit http://www.smokefree.gov/.

Information contained in this article has been taken directly from The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Secondhand Smoke: What it Means to You. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Last Reviewed: Mar 09, 2009

Timothy J. Buckley, PhD, CIH
Associate Professor and Chair
Division of Environmental Health Sciences
College of Public Health
The Ohio State University