Tobacco Free California | Secondhand Smoke Information

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Secondhand smoke is both the smoke given off by the burning end of a cigarette, pipe or cigar and the smoke that is exhaled by the smoker. Secondhand smoke is involuntarily inhaled by nonsmokers, can stay in the air after cigarettes have been put out, and can cause or worsen a wide range of illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease and asthma. Source: California Environmental Protection Agency Web site

Secondhand smoke kills tens of thousands of Americans every year and causes serious life-threatening illnesses for thousands more.

Each year in California, secondhand smoke causes an estimated:

3,600 deaths from heart disease
400 deaths from lung cancer

Fortunately, the health risks associated with secondhand smoke can be prevented.

Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

Learn more about the dangers of Secondhand Smoke.

Reducing Exposure to Secondhand Smoke

What Californians Think About Secondhand Smoke

Learn more of what Californians think about Secondhand Smoke.

Additional Resources

View additional resources about Secondhand Smoke.

Smoke-free Cars Law
Learn about new law that keeps California's kids safe from dangerous Secondhand Smoke.

Illegal Sales of Tobacco to Kids
Keeping tobacco out of the hands of minors is an important way to help prevent teens from embarking on a lifelong addiction.

Tobacco Marketing in the Community
Learn more about tobacco industry marketing in your community and how to reduce its impact on teens.

Smoking in Movies
Information and links about how smoking in the movies impacts teens.

Message Boards
Join in with others trying to quit or let everyone know how you became tobacco free.

WELCOME TO THE RESOURCES PAGE Learn more about the dangers of secondhand smoke and how youth are impacted by tobacco marketing, illegal sales of cigarettes and smoking in the movies.