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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Office on Smoking and Health
Tel: 1-800-CDC-INFO
(1-800-232-4636)
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: tobaccoinfo@cdc.gov
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Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports (MMWRs)
Survey of Airport Smoking Policies—United States, 2002
December 24, 2004 / Vol. 53 / No. 50
MMWR Highlights
Airport Smoking
Policies Survey
-
In 2002, an estimated 1.9 million workers
had jobs at U.S. airports, and more than 1.9 million passengers per day
passed through these airports.
- While over 60% of airports reported
they were smoke-free in 2002, larger airports that account for a majority of
passenger boardings were less likely than smaller airports to have a
smoke-free policy in place.
- At
the time of the survey, fewer than half of larger airports, which service
nearly 70% of all airline travelers passing through U.S. airports, were
smoke-free.
- Airport employees and
travelers, like employees and patrons at any workplace that permits smoking,
are at elevated risk for disease and death caused by secondhand smoke.
Airport travelers and employees are also at risk for being exposed to
secondhand smoke when entering, leaving, or working outside of airport
buildings.
- Smoke-free airports
were more likely than non-smoke-free airports to have designated outdoor
smoking areas and to require that people maintain a minimum distance from
entrances when smoking outside airport buildings.
- Increased adoption, communication, and
enforcement of smoke-free policies are needed to protect the health of
workers and travelers at U.S. airports.
Background
-
Secondhand smoke
contains more than 50
cancer-causing agents (carcinogens),
and is responsible each year for an estimated 3,000 lung cancer deaths and
more than 35,000 coronary heart disease deaths among nonsmokers in the
United States.
- Exposure to
secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk for lower
respiratory infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, and chronic
ear infections among children.
- There is no known
safe level of secondhand smoke exposure, and evidence suggests that even
short-term exposure may increase the risk of experiencing a heart attack.
- Although
population-based data show declining secondhand smoke exposure in the United
States over time, secondhand smoke exposure remains a common, preventable
public health hazard. Policies requiring smoke-free environments are the
most effective method of reducing secondhand smoke exposure.
Page last reviewed 02/28/2007
Page last modified 02/28/2007