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“The debate is over. The science
is clear. Secondhand smoke is not a
mere annoyance, but a serious health
hazard.” |
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U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, June 27, 2006 |
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Someone dies every 6 seconds from tobacco related illnesses, 1200 per day in America alone.
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| Secondhand smoke kills |
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Secondhand smoke contains at least 250 chemicals known to be toxic,
including more than 50 that cause cancer. |
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Secondhand smoke exposure causes heart disease and lung cancer in
nonsmoking adults. |
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Nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work increase
their heart disease risk by 25-30% and their lung cancer risk by 20-30%. |
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Secondhand smoke exposure causes respiratory symptoms in children and slows their lung
growth. |
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Secondhand smoke causes sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children. |
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There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke. Even brief exposure can be dangerous. |
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Secondhand smoke exposure causes an estimated 3,400 lung cancer deaths and 22,700-69,600 heart disease deaths annually among adult nonsmokers in the United States. |
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Secondhand smoke exposure is responsible for 150,000-300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia
annually in children under 18 months of age. This results in 7,500-15,000 hospitalizations in the United States
each year. |
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Smoking-related health care amounts to $169 million annually; $77 million is covered by the state Medicaid program. |
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Alaska suffers $157 million in smoking-related productivity losses each year. |
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1,100 kids under age 18 become new smokers each year. |
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47,000 children are exposed to secondhand smoke at home. |
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120 adult nonsmokers in Alaska die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke. |
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18,000 children now under 18 and living in Alaska will ultimately die prematurely from smoking. |
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Economic impact of smoking in the workplace |
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In the United States, employees who smoke cost employers an estimated $3,391 each annually: $1,760 in lost productivity and $1,623 in excess medical expenditures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, estimated costs associated with secondhand smoke’s effects on nonsmokers can add up to $490 per smoker per year. |
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Smokers, on average, miss 6.16 days of work per year due to sickness (including smoking related acute and chronic conditions), compared to nonsmokers, who miss 3.86 days of work per year. |
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Cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke cost $92 billion in productivity losses annually, according to the CDC. |
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The National Fire Protection Association found that in 1998 smoking materials caused 8,700 fires in non-residential structures, resulting in a direct property damage of $60.5 million. |
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The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that construction and maintenance costs are 7-percent higher in buildings that allow smoking than in buildings that are smokefree. |
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Restaurants that allow smoking spend about $190 per 1,000 square-feet more each year in cleaning and maintenance than smokefree restaurants, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. |
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Benefits of a smokefree workplace |
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Smokefree workplace policies lead to less smoking among workers and the elimination of secondhand smoke exposure, thus creating a healthier workforce. |
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Direct health care costs to the company may be reduced. |
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Absenteeism due to smoking-related illnesses may be reduced. |
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Maintenance costs go down when smoke, matches and cigarette butts are eliminated in facilities. |
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Office equipment, carpets and furniture last longer. |
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It may be possible to negotiate lower insurance premiums as employee smoking is reduced. |
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The risk of fires is lower. |
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