North Carolina Alliance for Health NC Alliance for Health, 3131 RDU Center, Suite 100, Morrisville, NC 27560, 919-463-8328, ncalliance@heart.org

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For more information about the dangers of secondhand smoke and what you can do to make a difference, please see the Secondhand Smoke Information Page.

Resolution in Support of Eliminating Secondhand Smoke in NC’s Worksites and Public Places

July 2008

WHEREAS, the 2006 Surgeon’s General Report found overwhelming evidence that secondhand smoke exposure is a risk to anyone and that the Surgeon General of the United States stated that “The scientific evidence is now indisputable: secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance. It is a serious health hazard.” ; and

WHEREAS, secondhand smoke is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States, causing the deaths of about 35,000 Americans per year and an estimated 1,220 to 2,180 North Carolina adults, children and babies ; and

WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified secondhand tobacco smoke as a known human lung carcinogen, and therefore concludes that secondhand smoke is a health risk to nonsmokers ; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization states that secondhand smoke is a human carcinogen for which there is no "safe" level of exposure ; and

WHEREAS, secondhand smoke has been proven to cause cancer, heart disease, and asthma in both smokers and non-smokers ; and

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns that all patients with or at increased risk of coronary heart disease should avoid all indoor environments that permit smoking ; and

WHEREAS, studies show that infants and children are especially vulnerable to secondhand smoke, suffering more respiratory problems, ear infections, asthma and sudden infant death syndrome, as a result of exposure6, and pregnant women exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk to have low birth-weight babies ; and

WHEREAS, no ventilation system can remove all the harmful elements in secondhand smoke from the air, according to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Condition Engineers (ASHRAE) ; and

WHEREAS, smoke-free air policies do not have a negative economic impact on businesses ; and

WHEREAS, the majority of North Carolinians and other Americans do not smoke ; and

WHEREAS, worksites and public places are locations where children, members of the community and employees are exposed to secondhand smoke; and

WHEREAS, smoke-free air policies have been shown to protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke, and help smokers reduce the number of cigarettes consumed or quit entirely ;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the undersigned endorses making all North Carolina worksites and public places 100% smoke-free.

Approved by the membership 4-06



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