The 2006 Surgeon General's report left no room for doubt:  Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be dangerous to adults, children and infants. Heart disease. Respiratory diseases.  Cancers.  Secondhand smoke causes or worsens all of these and more.

The report also concluded that filtering the air or creating a separate “no smoking” section does not provide sufficient protection. The bottom line: Any amount of secondhand smoke can hurt. 

Click on "Trends and facts" to see the references and read the fact sheets — or the whole report — for yourself. 

The best protection: eliminate exposure

Despite overwhelming evidence of the hazards of secondhand smoke, millions of Americans — both children and adults — are still exposed in their homes, workplaces and public places. So there is a clear need for Prevention Minnesota’s ambitious goal.

Ensuring smoke-free workplaces is a logical place to start. We believe no one should have to breathe toxic secondhand smoke to earn a living.  That’s why Blue Cross strongly supported Minnesota's Freedom to Breathe law, which passed in May 2007 and took effect October 1, 2007.

Our goal: Reduce exposure to secondhand smoke by 90%.  Measurement: Reduce from 45% to less than 5% the proportion of non-smoking adult Minnesotans exposed to secondhand smoke indoors.

Explore this section to learn more. Go to freshairmn.com for more information about the Freedom to Breathe Act.