Every year in Georgia nearly 10,000 people die from tobacco-related illness and about 1,500 people die from secondhand smoke.
That is more than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.
Despite all the messages about the dangers of smoking, more than 1.5 million Georgians ages 18 and older light up.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Most exposure to secondhand smoke occurs in homes and on the job.
“Smoke-free environments are critical to promoting the health of Georgians of all ages,” says Jean O’Connor, director of the Chronic Disease Prevention section in the Georgia Department of Public Health.
She adds, “Eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke where we live will help reduce cancer, heart attacks and strokes, asthma and ear infections in children, and decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome.”
The Georgia Department of Public Health is working to get the word about the dangers of smoking to property owners and managers and their residents. They are trying to educate them on the need for smoke-free policies.
Kenneth Ray, Deputy Director of the Tobacco Cessation Programs, says, "They have a population that is considered disparate in the country." He says research shows that renters and lower income individuals are the ones that are using tobacco the most.
Georgians who use tobacco and want to stop they can contact the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-270-STOP (7867). The line offers confidential counseling to all Georgia tobacco users age 13 and older. The line is open 24/7.
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