SECONDHAND SMOKE AND SMOKEFREE LAWS

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SECONDHAND SMOKE AND SMOKE-FREE LAWS
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Nothing Kills Like Tobacco
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• Secondhand tobacco smoke contains more than
  4,000 chemicals
• 5 regulated hazardous air pollutants
• 47 regulated hazardous wastes
• 60 known or suspected cancer-causing agents
• More than 100 chemical poisons

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Toxic Poisons in SecondhandTobacco Smoke

• Methanol
• Carbon Monoxide
• Hydrogen Cyanide
• Acetone
• Tar
• DDT
• Naphthalene
• Vinyl Chloride
• Benzene

• Formaldehyde
• Mercury
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Toluene
• Cadmium
• Ammonia
• Butane
• Ethanol

There is no safe level of exposure to firsthand
tobacco smoke or secondhand tobacco smoke
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Health Consequences of Secondhand
Smoke

• Heart disease
• Lung cancer
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Low birth weight
• Asthma
• Otitis Media (ear infections) in children
• Bronchitis and pneumonia
• Breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.
• Increased risk of cervical cancer.
• Cognitive deficits among children even at
  extremely low levels of exposure.

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Short-Term Heart Effects of Secondhand Smoke
Exposure

• 5 minutes of exposure stiffens the aorta as much
  as smoking a cigarette.
• 20 minutes of exposure causes excess blood
  clotting, increasing the risk of heart attack and
  stroke.
• 30 minutes of exposure increases the build up of
  fat deposits in blood vessels, increasing the
  risk of heart attack and stroke.
• 2-hours of exposure increases the chance of
  irregular heart beat that can be fatal or trigger
  a heart attack.

In April 2004, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention issued a warning that all patients
with heart disease should avoid exposure to
secondhand smoke.
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Effects on Workers Health

• Levels of secondhand tobacco smoke in restaurants
  and bars is 1.6 to 6 times higher than in office
  workplaces
• Servers have the greatest risk of developing lung
  cancer and heart disease compared to other
  occupations

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After Lexingtons Smoke-free Law, Hair Nicotine
Dropped by 56
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The Average Decrease in Hair Nicotine Was
Greater in Bar Workers
adjusted for cigarettes smoked per day
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• I worked as a cocktail waitress in smoky
  restaurants and bars for 14 years. I have onset
  emphysema. My doctor says my constant exposure to
  tobacco smoke contributed significantly to my
  emphysema. No one should have to breathe tobacco
  smoke to hold a job. Suzanne H

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Air Pollution Before and After Lexingtons
Smoke-free Law

• Indoor air pollution in restaurants, bars, and
  other entertainment venues was 3 times the
  outdoor air pollution standard, but dropped 91
  after Lexingtons smoke-free law took effect.

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Ventilation Standards

• Technical experts have concluded that source
  control (smoke-free) is the only feasible way to
  protect the public from secondhand tobacco smoke
• No feasible ventilation system can reduce
  secondhand smoke exposure to safe levels
• The current ASHRAE indoor standard (62-1999)
  assumes no smoking
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and
  Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)

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Percent of Workers Covered by Smoke-free
Workplace Policies, 1993-1999
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Public Health Benefits of Smoke-Free Laws

• Nonsmokers protected
• Fewer children start to smoke
• Smokers consume fewer cigarettes
• More smokers quit

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The Economics of Smoke-free Laws

• A large number of studies using objective
  measures show no negative economic impact.
• Smoke-free measures have been shown to improve
  business.
• A few studies using subjective measures show
  negative economic impact.

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Economic Benefits of Smoke-free Laws

• Smoke-free restaurants and bars are profitable
• Smoke-free policies contribute to employee
  productivity
• Facility maintenance costs are lower
• Most people prefer smoke-free policies

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Economic Impact of Lexingtons Law on Fayette
County Restaurants and Bars

• 3 increase in restaurant employment
• Bar employment remained stable
• No change in payroll withholding taxes in
  restaurants or bars
• No change in business openings or closures in
  alcohol-serving establishments or at non-alcohol
  serving establishments

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Why the Thalheimer Report is Flawed

• Analyzed only on-premise wholesale alcohol sales
  and found a 9.8-13.3 drop post-law
• Significant effect found in only 2 of the 9
  distributors in Fayette County (only examined
  data from 3 of the 9)
• No information on types of alcoholic beverages
  sold
• Report does not account for change in alcohol
  price over time
• No audit of data provided by distributors
  (traditionally close allies of the tobacco
  industry)
• Report not peer-reviewed or independently
  evaluated

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Lexingtons Public Support and Knowledge of
Health Risks Before and After the Law
Public support for the law increased
significantly.
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Why the Tobacco Industry Opposes Smoke-free Laws

• Financial impact of smoking bans will be
  tremendous 3 to 5 fewer cigarettes per day per
  smoker will reduce annual manufacturer profits a
  billion dollars plus per year. (A
  Smokers Alliance, Phillip Morris, 8/1/93)
• Smoking bans are the biggest challenge we have
  ever faced. Quit rate goes from 5 to 21 when
  smokers work in non-smoking environments. (Bates
  2054893642/3656 Legacy Tobacco Documents
  Library 1994. http//legacy.library.ucsf.edu/tid/
  nyg12a00)

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Tobacco Industry Continues to Reject the
Scientific Consensus and Suggest Unhealthy
Alternatives to Smoke-free Laws
It is our view that, the scientific evidence is
not sufficient to establish that environmental
tobacco smoke is a cause of lung cancer, heart
disease or other chronic diseases. Brown
Williamson Tobacco, 2003 Business owners
should have some flexibility in deciding how best
to address the preferences of non-smokers and
smokers through separation, separate rooms and/or
high quality ventilation. Philip Morris, 2002
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Kentucky Supreme Court Decision, April 2004
Among the police powers of the government, the
power to promote and safeguard public health
ranks at the top.. The real issue is whether
the public health regulation Lexingtons
smoke-free law is reasonable.. In this case we
must conclude that it is.
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Not since the polio vaccine has this nation had
a better opportunity to make a significant
impact in public health.
David Satcher, MD, PhD, Former U.S. Surgeon
General