Smoke-Free Task Force Passes Committee

A bill that will create a "Smoke-Free" task force passed out of a House committee yesterday afternoon. This measure will allow the state to study smoke-free air laws and their benefits.

Secondhand smoke is a major risk factor for heart disease and kills 53,000 non-smoking Americans a year. A recent U.S. Surgeon General's report concluded that there is no risk free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that secondhand smoke has an immediate and adverse effect on the cardiovascular system. The study went on to say that separate seating areas and air ventilation systems cannot eliminate the health threat, and that smoke free environments are the only protection against the harmful effects of secondhand smoke