5 Ways Smokefree Policies Make Communities Healthier
By Communities Energized for Health, a project of ETR | April 11, 2025
National Public Health Week (NPHW) is an annual campaign created by the American Public Health Association (APHA) dedicated to celebrating the successes of public health while creating a vision for the future. The theme for its 30th anniversary is, “It Starts Here.”
It emphasizes how public health starts with each of us making a difference in our homes and communities. For Communities Energized for Health (CEH), a project of ETR, this observance highlights the importance of our work in addressing secondhand smoke exposure where Californians live, work, and play—because public health is all of us and it starts here.
The commercial tobacco industry is product and profit-driven, and lobbies against protective public health policies that prevent youth and communities from achieving their best health. Projects and coalitions work tirelessly to protect communities from the impact of commercial tobacco. It’s important to inform individuals why smokefree policies make their communities healthier.
1. Reduces exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke. Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled by a person who smokes or the smoke that comes from a burning cigarette, cigar, pipe, or hookah. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. When someone inhales secondhand smoke, they can take in nicotine and the 70 + cancer-causing chemicals found in commercial tobacco smoke in the same way as a person who smokes.
Research has found that smokefree policies lead to substantial declines in secondhand smoke exposure, with air quality improvements of up to 90% in high-risk settings. Communities without comprehensive laws, continue to be denied their right to breathe smokefree air.
2. Reduces tobacco product waste. While tobacco products might not be the first thing that comes to mind when people think of environmental waste, they are a big cleanup. In 2021, people picked up over 1.1 million cigarette butts from beaches and waterways around the world. Keep America Beautiful collected 894,700 littered e-cigarettes in U.S. roadways and waterways in 2021.
A smokefree policy is a midstream solution to tobacco product waste. Midstream solutions refer to reducing the amount of existing product that ends up as litter. Smokefree policies don't restrict access to tobacco products altogether, however they still leave a meaningful impact on communities.
3. Reduces new and current smokers among adults and youth. The main purpose of smokefree policy is to protect people who don’t smoke from exposure to secondhand smoke. Adopting these policies can also inspire current smokers to reduce the number of times they smoke or quit smoking altogether.
The impact of smokefree policies also pertains to youth. Young people are less likely to start smoking due to lower visibility of people who smoke, fewer opportunities to smoke alone or with others, and reduced social acceptability for smoking.
4. Improves the health and well-being of community members. Exposure to secondhand smoke toxins can cause lung cancer and increase the risk of other cancers in adults. There’s also an increased risk of certain childhood cancers for babies exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy, such as lymphoma, leukemia, and brain tumors.
An analysis in 2012 found that comprehensive smokefree laws were associated with lower rates of hospital admissions or deaths for coronary events, cerebrovascular accidents, respiratory disease, and other heart disease. While more comprehensive smokefree laws are associated with significant reductions in adverse health outcomes, even initial policies represent a crucial step forward for public health.
5. Reduces the risk of fires. In 2023, house fires from smoking made up roughly 7,000 incidents. As reported by the U.S. Fire Administration, this resulted in 255 deaths, 675 injuries, and $408,700,000 in dollar loss. One in four casualties of smoking-related fires are the children, friends, and neighbors of the smoker who caused the fire.
Fortunately, fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are preventable. Smokefree policies reduce the likelihood of these devastating fires while protecting the youth and communities most impacted.
Individuals deserve to live in healthy environments with air free from the cancer-causing chemicals found in commercial tobacco smoke, and no tobacco product waste littered where they live, work, and play. CEH’s work aims to increase the number of smokefree multiunit housing, mobile home park complexes, and healthcare centers in rural communities of Northern California.
We believe that all Californians deserve a fair chance for a healthy life protected from the harms of exposure to secondhand smoke. Let this theme of “It Starts Here” for NPHW serve as a reminder that public health isn’t just for a single person—it’s for ensuring that you, your friends, your family, and everyone in your community can thrive.
Resources for Tobacco Prevention
Want more tools for tobacco prevention? Check these out!
Communities Energized for Health (CEH) can work directly with healthcare centers and decision makers to expand smokefree indoor policies and Kick It California’s free tobacco cessation referral system. Learn more on how they can assist you at the CEH webpage.
Search for your local County Health Department here and find out more information on getting involved for a healthier community.
View Kick It California’s resources. They offer a range of services, from one-on-one Quit Coaching to text programs and self-help materials.
Take a look at the ETR Store. We offer tobacco prevention materials that feature the latest updates on the epidemiology of tobacco-related disease, the prevalence of smoking and other tobacco use, and the risk factors related to tobacco use.
Tobacco Education Clearinghouse of California (TECC), a project of ETR, is a statewide technical assistance (TA) provider that supports the development and distribution of effective educational materials and social media messaging for California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and California Tobacco Prevention Program (CTPP) funded projects at no cost.
Communities Energized for Health (CEH) is a project of ETR that addresses exposure to secondhand smoke in rural areas of Northern California through meaningful partnerships with the communities.
