SMOKE-FREE WISCONSIN —Eating out shouldn’t mean exposing yourself or your family to the dangers of secondhand smoke.

WISPIRG Launches Smoke-Free Campaign

In October, WISPIRG joined public health allies in asking the Legislature to make workplaces in Wisconsin, including bars and restaurants, smoke-free.

“Wisconsinites want clean, healthy, smoke-free public environments,” said Bruce Speight, WISPIRG Advocate. “We should be able to go out and eat with our families without worrying about our kids and loved ones breathing in other people’s smoke.”

Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in America. As US Surgeon General Richard Carmona concluded in a 2006 report, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke contains 69 different chemicals which cause cancer. Exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, chronic lower ear infections, and perinatal death among children, and lung cancer, nasal sinus cancer, heart disease, stroke, cervical cancer and asthma among adults.

Already Illinois, Minnesota and 20 other states, along with over 1,000 cities, including Madison and Appleton, have passed smoking bans. “Wisconsin should not fall behind our neighbors and the rest of the country in protecting public health from second hand smoke,” continued Speight. “Our families and children deserve the same strong public health protections.”

Over the next few months, WISPIRG will be working with bipartisan allies in the legislature to move this measure forward. In addition, WISPIRG will be conducting public education and outreach, working with coalition partners, and releasing reports that document the economic and public health benefits of smoke-free policies in Wisconsin.