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In an effort to cut down on secondhand smoke, Suffolk County lawmakers have proposed a new law that would make it illegal to smoke in apartment complexes, condominiums, and multi-family homes. Smoking is already banned near schools and office buildings.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, secondhand smoke exposure contributes to approximately 41,000 deaths among nonsmoking adults and 400 deaths in infants each year.
Approximately 3,000 non-smokers die each year in New York.
The CDC noted that "separating smokers from nonsmokers, opening windows, or using air filters does not prevent people from breathing secondhand smoke, and most exposure to secondhand smoke occurs in homes and workplaces."
Secondhand smoke causes stroke, lung cancer, and coronary heart disease in adults. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, more severe asthma, respiratory symptoms, and slowed lung growth.
The bills - one of which is an outright ban, the other limiting smoking to balconies and patios - were introduced by Legislators Sam Gonzalez and Tom Cilmi. They will first go to Suffolk's Health Committee later this month prior to a vote before the full legislature in March.
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