Skip Global navigation and goto content

It's a New Day in Public Health.

The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Skip MegaMenu and goto content

Exposing the Risks of Secondhand Smoke

By Holly Smith

May 02, 2016

Breaking the myth that secondhand smoke is harmless

Volusia County, Fla. - Secondhand Smoke is not harmless. That’s the message Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT) youth will take to their school campuses next week. Three SWAT clubs will participate in the 8th annual Tobacco Free Florida Week by hanging posters and handing out brochures at Pine Ridge High School, Taylor Middle School and Taylor High School.

“As many as 7,300 non-smoking Americans die annually of lung cancer primarily due to secondhand smoke exposure,” said Kristen Mialki, Florida Department of Health (DOH) in Volusia County’s Tobacco Prevention Program manager. “Breathing even small amounts of secondhand smoke can be dangerous. People may know it’s not healthy, but they likely don’t know just how bad secondhand smoke is to their health.”

Tobacco Free Florida Week runs May 8-14 and includes awareness activities to educate Volusia County residents about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
The theme of this year’s campaign, Secondhand Smoke Exposed, focuses on dispelling the common myth that secondhand smoke is harmless.

In addition to DOH-Volusia clinics, several of the department’s community partners will participate in Tobacco Free Florida Week by showcasing displays at various locations in the community, Mialki added. Daytona State College, Halifax Health-Healthy Communities, Halifax Health-Center for Women and Infant Health, YMCA Healthy Living Centers in Ormond, Port Orange, and Deland, and the Bethune-Cookman University Odessa Chambliss Center for Health Equity will have displays and brochures for their customers and visitors.

“Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds,” Mialki said. “Those can be left behind on clothing and surfaces. Our loved ones, children and pets breathe in secondhand smoke and are exposed the same toxic chemicals as smokers.”

DOH-Volusia supports local tobacco-related interventions, including raising public awareness about subject areas related to secondhand smoke, Mialki added. From guiding a multi-unit housing property through the process of going smoke-free, to presenting the benefits of a tobacco-free college campus, representatives in Volusia County also offer various guidance and resources to help people quit tobacco.

Despite the growing trend of smoke-free policies and the substantial decrease of smokers in the state, many of Volusia’s most vulnerable still are involuntarily affected by secondhand smoke, which has hundreds of toxic chemicals. Nearly 70 of those are known to cause cancer, Mialki said. Secondhand smoke greatly increases the risk of lung cancer, which is Florida’s number-one cancer killer.

May is also Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. More than 40 percent of children who go to the emergency room for asthma attacks live with smokers, Mialki said. Tobacco smoke is one of the most common asthma triggers. Children with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke are likely to experience more frequent and more severe attacks, which can put their lives in danger.

Residents in Volusia County and throughout the state benefit from the Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA), which was amended in 2003 to prohibit smoking in indoor workplaces. The Florida Department of Health has a dedicated phone line (1-800-337-3742) to report violations to the FCIAA. Floridians can help protect themselves and their families by reporting unlawful smoking, while making the state an even better place to live.

“The best thing smokers can do to protect their loved ones is to quit,” Mialki said.
Floridians who want to quit smoking are encouraged to use Tobacco Free Florida’s free and proven-effective services. More information is available at tobaccofreeflorida.com.

###

*Editor’s note: Tobacco Free Florida’s and DOH-Volusia’ assistance with local tobacco free policy efforts are not lobbying but are services to build awareness and support of jurisdictional voluntary initiatives to improve the health of Floridians.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.

Newsroom

Statewide Articles

JavaScript must be enabled in your browser to display articles

Local Articles