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Send this to a friend Print-friendly version What can I do to ensure clean smoke-free air for myself and my family? Quit smoking Past Articles Subscribe to our Healthlink newsletter

			Ventilation is not a solution
			Research shows that ventilation is not a solution to tobacco smoke exposure. There is no system capable of removing tobacco smoke and all its constituents from the air. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) sets standards for ventilation rates. Since 1999, their standards only apply to air that does not contain cigarette smoke. Increasing ventilation in an enclosed environment will dilute the smoke, but it will not eliminate the risks associated with second-hand smoke. Air filters and air purifiers may remove some particles from the air, but they cannot remove those that have settled on furnishings and other surfaces. This inefficiency also applies to stovetop ventilation hoods.

Although secondhand smoke is diluted in the air, prolonged and repeated exposure can still be disabling and deadly. More than 45,000 people will die this year in Canada due to smoking. Of those, more than 300 non-smokers will die of lung cancer and at least 700 non-smokers will die of coronary heart disease caused by exposure to second-hand smoke.

Children are much more sensitive to the negative health effects of second-hand smoke than adults are. Many studies have been conducted on the health effects of second-hand smoke, concluding that one is more likely to develop the following second-hand smoke diseases:

• asthma
• lung cancer
• heart disease
• middle ear infections
• bronchitis
• pneumonia
• sore throats
• reduced lung function

According to the organization Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, children are more vulnerable to second-hand smoke because:

• They breathe more air relative to body weight, so they will absorb more tobacco smoke toxins from exposure;
• their immune systems are less developed than that of adults;
• they have less ability to complain, because they are too young, or their complaints are ignored;
• they are less likely to be able to remove themselves from exposure.

			ETS = SHS
			There is no difference between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and second-hand smoke (SHS). Its is composed of the smoke emitted from the smouldering tip of a cigarette, smoke exhaled by smokers and "aged" tobacco smoke. ETS or SHS contain the same chemicals found in mainstream tobacco (smoke inhaled by smokers) smoke, but in larger amounts.

			Do you want to quit?
			Get help! You can talk to your physician, family, friends and colleagues. You can also use resources available on the Internet and / or call a quit smoking support help line. The Canadian Cancer Society has produced a series of booklets for smokers. The booklets are also available on the Internet. The Lung Association also offers an Internet booklet (in PDF format) called "Do You Want to Quit". The Ontario Lung Association provides an excellent list of "Tips to help you quit!", on their website. Finally, on the Tobacco Group/Topic page of this Web site, you will be able to find a list of all the smoking cessation help lines currently available in Canada.

According to the 2001 CTUMS results, regular smoking occurred in 25% of homes in Canada with children under the age of 12. This represents just over 900,000 children who were regularly exposed to the hazards of second-hand tobacco smoke in their homes. This is a significant improvement from 1996/97, when regular smoking occurred in 33% of homes with young children.

It is quite encouraging that, whether there are children present in the home or not, most households in Canada (77%) do not allow smoking in the home. Nonetheless, this percentage rises somewhat if there are children under the age of 12 present (82%)

You can declare your home a "smoke-free home". What is a smoke-free home? It is a home where smoking is not permitted indoors. However, that does not mean that you cannot comfortably entertain family and friends who are smokers. An area can be arranged outside for smokers.

How to create a smoke-free home

• First, you will have to discuss the importance of this issue with your family members. Make sure that all smoking members are involved in establishing the home policies - it is difficult to break a policy when you took part in the development of that policy.
• Once you have established a policy, set up a comfortable smoking area outside for your guests and the family members who do not plan to stop smoking.
• Remove all the ashtrays from inside the house ? this will encourage smokers to go outside. You can even display smoke-free home signs at every entrance of your house.
• Finally, when you entertain guests, be polite but be firm, and thank them for helping you to keep your home smoke-free.

Three million Canadian workers have no protection from second-hand smoke. Another 8 million have only partial protection. Exposure to second-hand smoke can be higher in some workplaces than at home. Going to work everyday should not be hazardous to your health. Workers should not be exposed to all the carcinogens contained in second-hand smoke. Big or small, workplaces should be as safe as possible and should have a policy limiting tobacco use to the outdoors. As employers are realizing that they will benefit from a smoke-free workplace, more and more workplaces are banning smoking in their facilities, and even in their company vehicles (i.e. Bell Canada and FedEx).

In fact, it has been shown that establishing smoke-free workplace policies reduced the number of smokers among the employees and the number of cigarette smoked by those who do smoke. This will result in positive benefits ? improved health, decreased health cost, etc.

Some provinces and municipalities in Canada have passed laws in order to protect citizens against second-hand smoke in public places and workplaces (i.e. Ottawa). If you do not to live in an area where there are smoke-free indoor public facilities and / or workplaces, you can write to or call your provincial representative, mayor and / or counsellor to voice your concerns.

• Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, Health Canada - collection "GoSmokeFree.ca"
• The Facts About Tobacco, Health Canada - collection "GoSmokeFree.ca"
• Second Hand Smoke and Children's Health - Physicians for a smoke-free Canada
• Protection from second hand smoke in Ontario, Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, University of Toronto -May 2001
• Where are people most likely to be exposed to ETS?, The Basics section of the National Clearing House on Tobacco and Health
• Fichtenberg, C. Glantz, S., Effect of smoke-free workplaces on smoking behaviour systematic review, BMJ.com, 2002; 325:188