Benefits of keeping a smoke-free home
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Encourage guests who smoke to do so outdoors to keep your home from developing an odor that can cling to many surfaces.
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Keep a home odor free and safe by creating a smoke-free environment.
The Great American Smokeout on Nov. 21 鈥� an annual event that encourages people to stop smoking 鈥� can also be a time for people to consider having a smoke-free home.
That means not smoking at home or allowing visitors to smoke, helping eliminate dangers of second-hand smoke.
Dan Tobin, director of communications for the American Cancer Society, Northeast Region, commented, 鈥淚n my personal opinion, as a homeowner, you have every right to decide whether or not you wish to allow people to smoke in your home.鈥�
鈥淪moke lingers,鈥� noted Tobin, 鈥渟o even after the person who is smoking leaves the building, the smell of smoke is still in the house, in the fabrics, and in the air. If you don鈥檛 want to have that smell in your home, then by all means, ask people to not smoke in your house. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. In fact, of the few friends that I have who do smoke, none of them smoke inside their own home. They go outside.鈥�
The Centers for Disease Control suggests on its website: 鈥淟et visitors know that, for your family蘑菇视频 health, smoking is not allowed in your home. It蘑菇视频 not enough to open a window or turn on a fan to try to blow the smoke away. Even moving to a different room away from a smoker does not prevent you from being exposed to secondhand smoke. Keeping your home free from tobacco smoke helps keep you and your family healthy.鈥�
Tobin shared information from the American Cancer Society about the effects of smoking:
鈥淟ung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States, accounting for one in four cancer deaths 鈥� more than colon, breast, and pancreatic cancer combined.
鈥淲hile it is true that anyone can get lung cancer, it is important to note that smoking is by far the leading cause of lung cancer 鈥� accounting for eight out of 10 lung cancer deaths in the United States.
鈥淭he American Cancer Society believes that people should avoid the use of all forms of tobacco and that people who do smoke should be encouraged and educated on the ways in which to quit.鈥�
The CDC reported about 41,000 nonsmoking adults die from heart disease and lung cancer every year because of secondhand smoke.
鈥淐hildren who breathe in secondhand smoke are more likely to get sick, including respiratory and ear infections. In babies, secondhand smoke can cause sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Secondhand smoke kills more than 400 infants from SIDS each year,鈥� the CDC continued.
The website Healthy Children from the American Academy of Pediatrics also advocates keeping a home smoke free: 鈥淵ou may already know that second-hand smoke is dangerous for anyone, especially children, but did you know that smoke can stay in a room for a long time after someone smokes there?鈥�
The website emphasized, 鈥淚t is important to understand that opening a window, sitting in a separate area, or using ventilation, air conditioning, or a fan cannot eliminate secondhand smoke exposure. If you cannot quit smoking, it is important to maintain a smoke-free environment in areas where children live or play.鈥�
Smoking indoors one time is enough to contaminate the rest of the house, even in a room with closed doors, according to Healthy Children.
Keeping a home smoke-free protects those who don鈥檛 use tobacco products.
鈥淎bout 58 million nonsmokers in the U.S. are still exposed to secondhand smoke, many of whom are exposed in their homes,鈥� reported the CDC. 鈥淐ompletely eliminating tobacco smoke indoors is the only way to fully protect those in your household from this preventable health risk.鈥�