Secondhand smoke. More than annoying. A public health emergency.

Tell us: How has secondhand smoke impacted you?

The facts: There is no safe level of exposure

• In 2006 the Surgeon General issued a report titled “The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Secondhand Smoke." The report outlines the dangers associated with secondhand smoke.
• Secondhand smoke questions and answers from the National Cancer Institute
• Secondhand smoke fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Learn more and share your thoughts about:

Tobacco-free worksites
Smoke-free living
Tobacco-free schools

Tell us: How has secondhand smoke impacted you?   

Read what others have said about secondhand smoke

Comments submitted:

I have 3 children ages 10, 5, and 3; my oldest has asthma and absolutely cannot be around cigarette smoke which limits some of the things that we can do in Northern Kentucky. We have learned which restaurants are totally smoke free and we only frequent those that are. It is so frustrating to have to walk through people's cigarette smoke just to get inside some buildings, even that small exposure could make it difficult for my son to breathe. I would be very happy if Northern KY would follow Ohio and other states and make a law that would make most public places smoke free. --Emily

I have asthma and second hand smoke prevents me from eating at some places. Recently we went to dine at a local establishment and the SHS at the door stopped my breathing so that we had to leave and go home immediately. --Edward

I am a recovering lung cancer patient. I work for a company that refuses to be proactive in public health. When I enter our building you must walk through a cloud of smoke to get to my office. Try holding your breath when you have no breath to hold. --Cheryl
 

As a child, both my parents smoked in the house, car (windows up). All my friends smoked, my boyfriend, etc. In short, I did not know anyone who did not smoke until I was an adult. When I was 22, I was admitted to the hospital for seven days with asthma. Since then I've been admitted six times, and have been ill with asthma multiple more times that did not require hospital treatment. I now have a lung disease, that is triggered by other's smoking. I have many triggers--air freshener, secondhand smoke, car exhaust. But all in all, I would have love to not have asthma. Prevention is best, so if you smoke around your kids, please STOP. My mom and dad both said over and over that if they only knew they would have never smoked, or at least not around me. Every time I'm sick, I know they feel responsible, and I feel sad for them about that. --Tonya

It would be great if the restaurants in Covington would discontinue smoking indoors - it is tough to enjoy a meal with the taste of smoke in your mouth. Because of the smoke, we find ourselves going across the river when we choose to eat out and this is a bummer since there are some really great places to eat in Covington. --Sherry

I am a lead singer in a band called CODA. Because Northern Kentucky allows smoking, we just don't try to get gigs in Kentucky. We have found that our followers desire to go places where there is no smoke. That will be their first question when given our schedule. 'Do they have smoking?' Besides, smoke does a number on our voices while we are singing and also we can tell a difference the next day. It's time for a change in Northern Kentucky. --Chuck

I can not go to any establishment in Northern Kentucky that has smoking because just one cigarette in the room sets my asthma off. I go to Ohio for a lot of my outings because I know the entire state is smoke free. --Rita
 

I have asthma and it can cause me not to be able to breathe. I feel like I will die if someone lights up a cigarette. --Pamela
 

So many people today realize their health problems stem from secondhand smoke. Let’s change some of the things we can change in life. Let's have some clean air for us to breathe when we go out in the evening to eat or go out for an evening of dancing.  --Jazzy

My wife had lived with cancer for 13 years. It hard to watch some on die from cancer. --Don
 

My father-in-law died of lung cancer. He was a non-smoker but he worked two or three nights a week for several years at his church's bingo hall where smoking was allowed. --Kathy
 

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