Trends and facts U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona ended any 'debate' about secondhand smoke on June 27, 2006.  That 's when he released  the 2006 Surgeon General’s report: The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. [1] "The health effects of secondhand smoke exposure are more pervasive than we previously thought," said Surgeon General Carmona. "The scientific evidence is now indisputable: secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance.  It is a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults." [2] SHS causes lung cancer and heart disease in nonsmokers Secondhand smoke contains more than 50 cancer-causing chemicals. When nonsmokers are exposed to secondhand smoke, they inhale many of the same cancer-causing chemicals that smokers inhale. [3] Concentrations of many cancer-causing and toxic chemicals are higher in secondhand smoke than in the smoke inhaled by smokers. [4] Exposure to secondhand smoke causes the deaths from lung cancer of an estimated 3,000 nonsmokers in the U.S. each year.  Secondhand smoke also contributes to the deaths of 46,000 nonsmokers from heart disease.  [5] Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25 to 30 percent. [6] Devastating impact on babies and children Secondhand smoke is especially harmful to children and infants. Their developing bodies make them especially vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke. Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). On average, 430 infants die from SIDS each year because of their exposure to secondhand smoke. [7] Secondhand smoke exposure also causes acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma in children.  Smoking by parents causes respiratory symptoms and slows lung growth in their children. [8] Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant or who are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth have weaker lungs than unexposed babies.  That increases their risk for many health problems. [9] Exposure at work The workplace is a major source of secondhand smoke exposure for adults.  In 2001-02, about 30 percent of indoor workers in the U.S. were not covered by smoke-free workplace policies.  Blue collar and service employees are less likely than white collar indoor workers to be covered by such policies. [10] One month after New York's comprehensive smoke-free law was implemented, harmful indoor air pollution decreased by an average of 84 percent. [11] Minnesota joins the ranks Minnesota was the 20th state to implement a strong clean indoor air law that protect all workers. [12]  The Freedom to Breathe law took effect on October 1, 2007. The Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act (MCIAA) was enacted in 1975 to protect public health by restricting smoking in public places and workplaces. It was updated in 2003 to include most factories, warehouses and other places of employment exempted from the original legislation. The 2007 Freedom to Breathe law eliminated the exception for restaurants, bars and private clubs. [13]   Endnotes 1. Minnesota Adult Tobacco Survey 1999-2007 2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Available online at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/report/ 3.  New Surgeon General's Report Focuses on the Effects of Secondhand Smoke. Press Release. June 27,2006. Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060627.html 4. What is Secondhand Smoke? Fact Sheet 1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet1.html 5. 6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report. Fact Sheet 6. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet6.html 6. California Environmental Protection Agency. Proposed Identification of Environmental Tobacco Smoke as a Toxic Air Contaminant. 2005. 7. 6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report. Op. cit. 8.  California Environmental Protection Agency.  Op. cit. 9.  6 Major Conclusions of the Surgeon General Report. Op. cit. 10  Ibid. 11.  Secondhand Smoke Exposure in the Workplace. Fact Sheet 5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/secondhandsmoke/factsheets/factsheet5.html 12.  Traverse, MJ, Cummings, KJ, et al. Indoor air quality in hospitality venues before and after implementation of a clean indoor air law in western New York, 2003. MMWR 2003. 13.  Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.  Online resource. http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/shs/ 14.  Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act. Available online: http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/mciaa/ftb/index.html