Why is an ordinance needed for public places and workplaces to be smoke-free?
It’s about good health for employees and the public. Secondhand smoke is a cause for lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, emphysema and asthma among other diseases. Communities that have implemented smoke-free ordinances have seen substantial decreases in heart attacks and asthma attacks. Employees, both smokers and nonsmokers, have also reported fewer instances of respiratory and sensory symptoms of shortness of breath, wheezing, morning cough, phlegm production, and eye-nose-throat irritation. An average 19% reduction in hospital admissions for heart attacks has been seen within the first year in communities implementing ordinances for smoke-free public places and workplaces. Secondhand smoke is a major trigger for asthma attacks. Lexington, Kentucky experiences a 22% decline in hospital emergency room visits due to asthma attacks in the first 32 months after their smoke-free ordinance went into effect compared to the previous 32 months. Callaway County averages 171 emergency room vis
