Protecting people from tobacco smoke

There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke, which kills over 1 million people every year and causes heart disease, cancer and many other diseases. Even brief exposure can cause serious damage. Studies show that pollution levels in indoor places that allow smoking are higher than levels found on busy roadways, in closed motor garages and during firestorms. Scientific evidence has established that exposure to tobacco smoke causes death, disease and disability to non-smokers. Among newborns exposed either in utero or after birth, there is an increased risk of premature birth and low birth weight and a doubling of the risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Creating completely smoke-free indoor public places through smoke-free legislation is popular wherever it is enacted, and these laws do not harm business. Any country, regardless of income-level, can implement effective smoke-free legislation. Only a total ban on smoking in indoor public places, including all indoor workplaces, bars, restaurants and public transport, protects people from the harms of second-hand smoke, helps smokers quit and reduces youth smoking. 

Guidelines to Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control help countries know exactly what to do to protect their people from second-hand smoke.