Facts on Public Smoking

Whether at the workplace or a restaurant, public smoking affects the air quality and the health of others. Due to these negative consequences, many establishments and states across the country are banning smoking in public places.

Secondhand Smoke

• Secondhand smoke negatively affects the health of infants, children and adults, causing respiratory infections and lung cancer. According to the CDC, the exposure of secondhand smoke can increase the risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent for nonsmokers.

Smoke-free Policies

• Implementing smoke-free policies in public places has proven to improve the air quality and decrease air pollution. New York established a law requiring a ban on smoking in public places, which reduced the particles in the air caused by secondhand smoke by 84 percent.

Nationwide

• A nationwide ban on smoking in public places could result in 18,596 fewer hospital visits due to heart attacks and $92 million in savings for hospital costs, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.