The Landscape is Changing: New Tobacco Products are Harmful
- New Products aren’t safe- New smokeless products can contain twice as much nicotine as cigarettes. (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
- E-cigarette use is surging despite the fact that they haven’t been proven to be a safe alternative to cigarettes.
- E-cigarettes are not currently regulated by any agency, creating a lack of manufacturing standards or even basic ingredient information for these products.
- New Products Appeal to our Kids- Candy-like flavoring, packaging, and bright colors make new tobacco products extremely appealing to kids.
- Loopholes in the law mean some tobacco products are taxed at a much lower rate than cigarettes, making them more accessible to youth. New products are often displayed near candy and gum and not behind the counter.
- According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey e-cigarette use has tripled among high school youth from 2011 to 2013.
Everyone Deserves a Smoke-Free Home – CDC, June 13, 2016
Make sure your home is free of tobacco smoke.
June is National Healthy Homes Month, and one way to ensure the health and safety of those in your household is to not smoke tobacco products or allow others to smoke these products inside. The dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke are “real” secondhand smoke kills more than 400 infants from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and about 41,000 nonsmoking adults from heart disease and lung cancer every year.
About 58 million nonsmokers in the U.S. are still exposed to secondhand smoke, and some of this exposure occurs in homes. Moreover, more than one in three nonsmokers who live in rental housing are exposed to secondhand smoke, and many who live in public housing are particularly vulnerable to the effects of secondhand smoke, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. (See Secondhand Smoke: An Unequal Danger, CDC Vital Signs[6.14 MB]) For this reason, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed a rule that will require public housing authorities nationwide to implement a smokefree policy on their properties.
Smokefree policies in multiunit housing will improve the health of people like Aden, whose severe asthma is triggered by exposure to secondhand smoke. Aden’s mother, Jessica, encourages others to keep their children away from secondhand smoke in the video, Jessica’s Asthma Ad, from CDC’s Tips From Former Smokers campaign.
In multi-unit housing, secondhand smoke can enter into other units through hallways and stairways.
Tips for Maintaining a Healthy, Smokefree Home
- Implement a household rule that prohibits anyone from smoking tobacco products inside your home at any time.
- Support your family and neighbors who might need help to quit smoking.
- Talk with community leaders about ways to make units and indoor common areas in multi-unit housing smokefree.
Upcoming Events
Nevada Tobacco Quitline is a FREE phone counseling service available to smokers aged 13 or over who want to stop smoking. Your quit coach will help you make a schedule so you can quit using tobacco. Adults over 18 may qualify for FREE tobacco replacement therapy. To find out more, click here.