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By Richard Carmona

As the 17th surgeon general of the United States, my office completed a comprehensive multiyear review of the most up-to-date scientific evidence in order to finally settle the question of the risks of secondhand smoke. Our findings were clear: No level of exposure to secondhand smoke is safe.

In a landmark report issued this summer, I determined that secondhand smoke is "a serious health hazard that can lead to disease and premature death in children and nonsmoking adults." I also identified a "proven, simple" way to prevent deadly exposure to secondhand smoke: We must adopt smoke-free environments.

These much-anticipated findings are a call to action in support of comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws.

Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 35,000 to 45,000 deaths each year from heart disease and 3,000 more deaths from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or work have an increased risk, up to 30 percent, for both heart disease and lung cancer.

In addition, secondhand smoke may cause or contribute to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), acute respiratory infections, ear problems and more frequent and severe asthma attacks in children. Even brief exposure to secondhand smoke can be dangerous.

Armed with the report's conclusions, we must redouble our efforts in fighting to prevent secondhand smoke from threatening our communities. The findings cannot be clearer. They sound the alarm for individuals and all state and local officials to respond.

Seventeen states have enacted smoke-free laws. California and Utah passed the first statewide public smoking laws in 1995. The number of communities nationwide with smoke-free policies has swelled to 2,200 locations. So much progress has been made, yet there is work to be done.

The tobacco industry and others wrongly claim that smoke-free laws are bad for business and attempt to weaken smoke-free proposals with provisions that allow for the use of ventilation systems. Their efforts are incorrect scientifically and cannot be justified based on the scientific facts. The evidence shows that smoke-free environments are not bad for business and are the only solution to the problem of secondhand smoke.

There is no technological way to eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke. The report shows that proposals like separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, allowing for smoking rooms and ventilating buildings are not effective. The report found that ventilation technology does not control health risks from secondhand smoke exposure. Based on the scientific evidence, they are an unacceptable solution to the serious problem of secondhand smoke.

The only scientifically supported solution for dealing with secondhand smoke is for the establishment of comprehensive effective smoke-free environments and policies. In New York, hospitality workers experienced an 89 percent decline in secondhand smoke exposure five months after the state passed its Clean Indoor Air Act. Within a year of the law's going into effect, the percentage of hospitality workers exposed to secondhand smoke dropped from 91 percent to 14 percent.

Meanwhile, studies have shown that smoke-free policies do not hurt business. New York City passed one of the country's strictest smoke-free ordinances in March 2003. One year after the law went into effect, tax receipts had increased by nearly 9 percent, or approximately $1.4 million. Many studies across the country have similarly concluded that smoke-free-restaurant ordinances do not harm sales.

As the surgeon general, I based the findings in my report on solid science. Our conclusions are generating responsible action among individuals, businesses and government. I call on everyone to protect everyone's right to breathe smoke-free air.