Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a mixture of the smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, cigar or pipe, and from the smoke exhaled by a smoker. SHS is also called "environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) ", "passive smoking" or "involuntary smoking".

Nationally, secondhand smoke kills 60,000 nonsmokers and is known to cause lung cancer, heart disease, nasal sinus cancer, respiratory disease, bronchitis, middle ear infections, asthma, and pneumonia. In children, secondhand smoke causes 436,000 cases of bronchitis and 190,000 cases of pneumonia each year.

Secondhand smoke contains nearly 5,000 chemical compounds including arsenic (poisen), hydrogen cyanide (gas chamber poisen), carbon monixide (car exhaust fumes), formaldehyde (preserver - body tissue and fabric), methonal (rocket fuel), actone (nail polish remover), metals(lead, copper, silver and others), and cancer causing agents (Polonium 210, nitrosamines, Benzo(a)pyrene, and others).

Only through effective public education can we hope to achieve a 100% smoke-free indoor DIA.

Want to support Smoke-Free DIA? Visit the webpage at:
www.smokefreedia.org


Sign an endorsement form. Contact Bob Doyle at the Colorado
Tobacco Education and Prevention Alliance (CTEPA). 303-756-6163 or bdoyle@ctepa.org

The Smokefree Colorado website provides Colorado residents with information about the dangers of secondhand smoke and links them to many organizations addressing secondhand smoke issues throughout the state. Information about the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, along with brochures, signage, and facts can also be located on the website.
http://www.smokefreecolorado.org

What is the SHAC (Smoke-Free Housing Action Committee)?
Updated: December 2008

The Group to Allieviate Smoking Pollution (GASP) of Colorado is working in partnership with the American Lung Association Tobacco Advocacy Resource Partnership (TARP) and the State Tobacco Education and Prevention Partnership (STEPP) to develop statewide resources to address the issue of tobacco smoke intrusion in multi-unit housing. This effort is supported by funds from the state tobacco tax prevention funds administered by STEPP.

History

The Smoke-Free Housing Action Committee (SHAC) was formed in Fall 2006 and currently consists of state and local health departments, nonprofit organizations, landlords, realtors, and residents. Between 2006 and 2007 the 42-member committee participated in conference calls to review the best practices used by national experts on smoke-free housing and held a statewide planning meeting on May 30, 2007. The SHAC steering committee was formed at that time for developing materials, planning, and assessing other needs. Since then the SHAC steering committee has conducted an assessment of materials, engaged in planning, and developed materials for STEPP's smoke-free housing Web site.

The SHAC Steering committee is coordinated by the American Lung Association of Colorado and meets bimonthly via conference call on the second Tuesday of the month. In-person meetings will be held twice a year.

Visit www.mysmokefreehousing.org for educational materials for landlords, residents, condominiums, public housing, links to smoke-free housing programs across the country, and other resources. The Colorado Guide to Smoke-Free Housing at www.mysmokefreehousing.com provides a statewide list of the smoke-free multi-unit residences and updated monthly, but is solely funded by GASP of Colorado.

For more information about the statewide conference calls, contact Pete Bialick at 303-444-9799 or by e-mail by clicking here

GASP of Colorado
2885 Aurora Ave Suite 37
Boulder CO 80303-2252
Phone: (303) 444-9799