Facts About The Community

  • Smoke-free communities prosper - research shows that both smokers and non-smokers prefer to work at, do business with, and visit smoke-free environments. Clean air protections give an opportunity for economic growth, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    • Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke cause heart attacks among smokers and non- smokers. Recent studies show that communities with clean air protections see fewer ER visits for heart attacks. This is important during the COVID-19 pandemic when community hospitals are experiencing staffing and ICU bed shortages.

  • Clean air is fair - uneven clean air protections result in African Americans, Hispanics, and rural residents being exposed to cancer causing toxins found in secondhand smoke and vaping aerosol more than other groups of people.

    • Lungs exposed to secondhand smoke and vaping aerosol have a harder time fighting infections like COVID-19.

    • Most tobacco users want to quit.Learn about free quit support at quitnowsc.org or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW