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Survey finds secondhand smoke a problem in multi-family buildings  

LETTER: Outdoor smoking affects other people 

The editorial on smoking says nonsmokers should learn to relax and stop telling other people what to do with their health. What the editorial fails to take into account is the effect of cigarette smoke on my health as a non-smoker.

I have severe asthma, and cigarette smoke is one of my triggers. Last summer, I attempted to go to a few events in public parks.

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Students to learn about asthma, smoke-free air 

MUNCIE -- For the sixth straight year, CDI Head Start of Delaware County will be hosting Smoke-Free Day at Head Start at 9:30 a.m. today.

This annual event is held in recognition of National Asthma Awareness Month, helping students and parents understand the impact that smoking and secondhand smoke have on asthma.

"Asthma is a very serious condition for children and adolescents around the world, and Delaware County is no exception," said Erica Bailey, asthma coordinator for the Delaware County Health Department and chair of the Asthma Coalition of Delaware County. "It's important that families are aware that smoking and secondhand smoke are harmful to all children and adolescents."

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Non-Smoking Apartment Residents Frequently Exposed To Secondhand Smoke, Study Finds 

• Council approves amended smoking ban  

The clock is ticking for smokers who enjoy lighting up in public places. On Tuesday night the Hannibal City Council gave first reading to the “no smoking” ordinance, but only after amending it following a debate on parliamentary procedure.

While some in attendance might have been hoping some sort of option would be given to establishments with a large percentage of smokers, the amended version only removed two paragraphs that essentially explained that the dangers of secondhand smoke were based on scientific studies.

Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Knickerbocker contended that striking the two sections made the ordinance more in line with the “will of the people,” who approved the ban on April 3. Councilman Dr. Richard Draper, who initially brought the legislation to the council level, objected to striking the two sections. He contended they helped establish “legal protection.” Draper said that without them “loopholes” would be opened. . . .

The new standards will take effect on July 1.

Under the ordinance, smoking will be prohibited in all enclosed public places, enclosed facilities within places of employment, enclosed residential care facilities, and outdoor places within 3 feet of outside entrances, operable windows and ventilation systems of enclosed areas where smoking is prohibited.

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[4340.2] Impact of Tobacco Smoke Exposure on Children Ages 6-19 Years with Asthma in the US, 2003-2010  

Second-Hand Smoke Worsens Asthma in Kids 

CODY: Secondhand Smoke Filters Through Apartment Buildings 

I happened to mention recently that smoking in France really affects apartment buildings, especially since so many are above restaurants and cafes . . .

Last year we had a beautiful home built in the 1600s in the heart of an ancient harbor town. Naturally we flung all the windows open every to watch the water, the people and to breathe in the delicious scents of bakeries, outdoor food markets, cafes.

But unfortunately, what permeated our senses the most was the cigarette smoke -- so much so that we had to keep the windows on the second floor closed for half the day, as it filtered in so badly that even our kids made comments.

While people have the right to smoke, it made me wonder about how people living in these kinds of apartments deal with this all the time.

Do they care? Do they even notice?

It turns out that they do -- a lot, especially in the United States

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• Secondhand smoke continues to vex children with asthma 

many youths are still exposed to secondhand smoke and their health suffers because of it, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston.

"National asthma guidelines have advised avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for patients with asthma for decades, but it is unclear to what degree these recommendations are being followed and what the impact of exposure has been in an era of increased awareness of the effects of ETS exposure," said lead author Lara J. Akinbami, MD, FAAP, medical officer, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers undertook this investigation after co-author Brian Kit, MD, MPH, conducted a study showing that 53 percent of children with asthma were exposed to smoke from cigarettes, cigars or pipes from 2005 to 2010. These findings also will be presented at the PAS meeting on Saturday, April 28.

Investigators analyzed data from the 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 972 children ages 6-19 years

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LETTER: Smoke-Free Residences 

Re "Mayor Calls for Residential Smoking Rules" (news article, April 19): Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's proposal for a building disclosure policy will help New Yorkers make informed choices on where they live. Just as they do when learning of lead paint and asbestos, they can decide if they want to live in a home where they will not be exposed to secondhand smoke.

We are fielding more calls on secondhand smoke in residential buildings than on any other tobacco control issue, and 311 calls are increasing as well. The move toward more smoke-free housing options in New York City is a natural next step to protect the health of our families. Isn't it time we let New Yorkers choose how and where they want to live?

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Jim Kershner's this day in history  

From our archives, 100 years ago

J.B. Lister of Spokane wrote a letter to the editor complaining about an issue that today we would call “secondhand smoke.”

But in 1912, Lister called it the “ungentlemanly habit” of making “your fellow take your smoke.”

“At different times, I have seen men at table in a high-class grill light a cigar or cigarette and puff the smoke all across the table and make others take it in, or get up and leave,” wrote the indignant Lister. . .

Lister might have been gratified to know that the smoking-in-restaurants issue was eventually addressed. But he might have cussed when he found out it took almost a century.

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ONE THIRD of people living in apartment must regularly smell second-hand smoke 

LETTER: Smokers asked to ‘air off’ after they stub out 

Australian study finds smoking leads to increase in sudden infant death syndrome  

Hidden Secondhand Smoke Risk Revealed | Smoking in Apartment Buildings