Everyone has the right to breathe smoke-free air

Secondhand smoke is a public health hazard.

• There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke, killing 220 Idahoans each year.
• Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, 69 of which cause cancer including formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide, and carbon monoxide.
• Secondhand smoke causes 35,000 to 40,000 deaths from heart disease every year.
• Secondhand smoke is responsible for 3,000 lung cancer deaths annually in otherwise healthy nonsmokers.
• Secondhand smoke can cause or aggravate a wide range of adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma.

No one should have to choose between a job and good health.

• Nonsmokers exposed to high levels of tobacco smoke on the job double their risk of getting lung cancer.
• Smoke-free policies decrease absenteeism among non-smoking employees and increases productivity.
• In our tough economy finding a healthier job isn’t always an option.
• Local ordinances provide protection to workers not currently covered by Idaho law.

Smokefree laws are good for health and business.

• Other cities with smokefree laws found they improve revenues and jobs, or are business neutral.
• There is no credible evidence that going smokefree is bad for business.
• Over 23 peer-reviewed studies have shown that local communities have successfully implemented smokefree policies without adverse economic impact.
• Smoking costs Idahoans an estimated $319 million dollars each year in smoking health costs, and $332 million annually in lost productivity.
• Smoking accounts for $24.6 million in Medicaid costs in Idaho.
• Each taxpayer household in Idaho pays an average of $519 annual costs related to smoking.

Broad support exists for smoke-free policies.

• A broad based, solid majority of voters across the political spectrum support smoke-free policies.
• 87% of voters agree all workers should be protected from exposure to second hand smoke.
• The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, and American Lung Association all support enactment of comprehensive smoke-free policies. (See list of additional local endorsers)
• A recent poll indicates that by a margin of more than 10 to1, voters believe the rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air are more important than the rights of smokers and even a majority of smokers say the rights of customers and employees to breath clean air is more important than their individual right to smoke.