Our
Goal: 100% smoke free air for all indoor
workplaces
in the City of Columbia
Why We Need A Smoke Free Columbia
What Tobacco Really Costs our State - $1.00
billion annually in health care expenditures
- $84.1
million annually from secondhand
smoke exposure
- $362.1 million total health
expenditures caused by tobacco use to
SC's Medicaid program
- $855.0 million ($545/household) citizens' state/federal
taxes to cover smoking-caused gov't costs
- $1.74
billion in moking-caused productivity losses
- $7.22 in total costs per pack sold
Smoking kills more people each year than
alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders, and suicides
combined -- and thousands more die from spit-tobacco use and
other tobacco-related causes (but there currently are no good
state-specific estimates of these other tobacco deaths). For
every person in South Carolina who dies from smoking approximately
20 more state residents are suffering from serious smoking-caused
disease and disability, or other smoking-caused health problems.
Smoking
and the Workplace
- Smoking is currently allowed in many
indoor workplaces in the City of Columbia
- Exposure to secondhand smoke causes
disease, disability, and death
- Evidence shows that designated smoking
rooms do not protect workers and patrons
from the toxins contained in secondhand
smoke
- Recent studies have shown that smoke
free legislation has no adverse impact
on business, and may even be good for business
Who We Are:
- People who want to breathe clean, safe, smoke free indoor air
- Parents who enjoy being out with their families, but do not want their children exposed to harmful, secondhand smoke
- Former smokers who know the benefits of a smoke free lifestyle.
- Voters who will MAKE IT HAPPEN!
How Can You Help?
- Sign the Smoke Free Columbia petition
- Circulate petitions within your neighborhood, workplace, church, social group, etc
- Volunteer for Smoke Free Columbia special events
- Recruit others to support Smoke Free Columbia
- Speak to interested groups about Smoke Free Columbia
- Contact your city council members to express support for a Smoke Free Columbia
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