Smoke-Free Communities in Fresno County

50,000 non-smokers die every year from secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure

There is no risk-free level of SHS exposure. Brief exposure to secondhand smoke can be harmful to your heart and blood vessels. Even if you have never smoked, exposure can still cause heart disease, lung cancer and stroke.

Why should communities be smoke-free?

There is little difference between indoor and outdoor secondhand smoke exposure. There are at least 7,000 chemicals found in SHS. Hundreds are toxic and about 70 are cancer-causing. For instance, benzene is one of the chemicals found in SHS that can also be found in gasoline. Exposure to these chemicals can cause disease and early death for children and adults who do not smoke.

Policies that support smoke-free spaces can help protect non-smokers and make smoking less acceptable.