Smoking around others isn&rs quo;t just inconsiderate, it’s indefensible. Whether you mean to or not, you’re putting others at risk of disease and death due to your actions. And even if they’re not in the house, car or office when you actually smoke, you’re still exposing them to dangerous chemicals. How?

The truth is, there are three kinds of smoke to consider every time you light up:

• - Firsthand: This is the exposure to the tobacco user him/herself. It comes from inhaling tobacco smoke or absorbing tobacco through the use of smokeless tobacco products.
• - Secondhand: Secondhand exposure affects users and non-users alike, and consists of the inhalation of smoke introduced to the air by the act of tobacco being burned.
• - Thirdhand: A relatively new discovery, thirdhand exposure happens when the toxins in tobacco smoke deposit themselves on fabrics, carpeting and other surfaces. These toxins, some of which are cancer causing, linger long after secondhand smoke has cleared the room, lengthening the time tobacco can threaten both users and non-users.

Sure, people around you cough a little and it might make their clothes stink, but secondhand smoke isn’t that dangerous, right? Wrong. In fact, secondhand smoke kills over 38,000 people a year. And for those who don’t die, here are just a few of its damaging effects:

• - SHS causes heart disease and lung cancer in non-smokers, increasing the chances a non-smoker will develop these diseases by 25-30% and 20-30% respectively.
• - In children, SHS exposure can slow lung growth, lead to acute respiratory infections, induce more severe asthma attacks and even lead to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• - Each year, SHS is responsible for 150,000 to 300,000 new cases of bronchitis and pneumonia among children under 18 months of age, leading to 7,500 to 15,000 hospitalizations.

To protect those you care about, we urge you to call the Florida Quitline at 1-877-U-CAN-NOW or visit FloridaQuitline.com . There, you’ll find counseling, information and tips to help you kick the addiction for good.

If you’re not ready for that, here are a few guidelines to limit the threat that your actions pose to those around you:

• - Make your home and vehicle smoke-free at all times. If someone insists on smoking, make sure it’s done outside. Opening a window is not enough.
• - Do not allow smoking near the doors or windows of your home, as deadly smoke can drift inside. Ask smokers to move as far away from the building as is possible.
• - Consider stepping down your addiction gradually using nicotine replacement patches, lozenges or gum. These can ease the stress of quitting cold turkey and give you a way to get a nicotine fix without endangering others.

The Florida Clean Indoor Air Act (FCIAA) was enacted in 1985. In 2003, the statute was amended to prohibit smoking in enclosed indoor workplaces. The purpose of the statute is to protect employers, employees and patrons of these businesses from the health hazards of secondhand smoke exposure.

By forcing those who choose to smoke to do so in designated areas outside the business, we can help to ensure a safe workplace for millions of Floridians. However, to enforce this important piece of legislation we need your help. If you work in, frequent or know of a workplace that fails to comply with the FCIAA, please call 800–337–3742. You can remain anonymous!