Asthma Friendly Policies

Background: Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) from burning tobacco causes disease and death in nonsmoking children and adults. No risk-free level of SHS exposure exists.

Results: Prevalence of SHS exposure in nonsmokers declined from 52.5% during 1999–2000 to 25.3% during 2011–2012. During this period, declines were observed for all population subgroups, but disparities exist. During 2011–2012, SHS was highest among: children aged 3–11 years (40.6%), non-Hispanic blacks (46.8%), persons living below the poverty level (43.2%), and persons living in rental housing (36.8%). Among children aged 3–11 years, 67.9% of non-Hispanic blacks were exposed to SHS compared with 37.2% of non-Hispanic whites and 29.9% of Mexican Americans.

Conclusion: Overall, SHS exposure in the United States has been reduced by half since 1999–2000. However, 58 million persons were still exposed to SHS during 2011–2012, and exposure remains higher among children, non-Hispanic blacks, those living in poverty, and those who rent their housing.

Implications for Public Health Practice: Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from SHS exposure; separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air and ventilating buildings cannot completely eliminate exposure. Continued efforts to promote implementation of comprehensive statewide laws prohibiting smoking in workplaces and public places, smoke-free policies in multiunit housing, and voluntary smoke-free home and vehicle rules are critical to protect nonsmokers from this preventable health hazard in the places they live, work, and gather.

Our Childhood Asthma Initiative,
By the Numbers

Check out our CALM infographic, which details the successes and strategies the Foundation and our grantees developed to reduce the burden of childhood asthma in Missouri.

The child care environment is vitally important to the healthy development of millions of young children who receive care outside their homes.  Along with creating a safe, nurturing, and stimulating child care program, protecting children from exposure to indoor environmental contaminants is critical to advancing the core goals of early care and education.  Children are not simply “little adults” when it comes to environmental exposures – they may be more highly exposed to pollutants and more vulnerable to their effects.

This report, prepared by the Environmental Law Institute and the Children’s Environmental Health Network, provides an overview of how state policy addresses indoor environmental exposures in the child care setting.  While there has been considerable progress in establishing policies to address key indoor contaminants, there is ample room for strengthening state laws, regulations, and non-regulatory initiatives.  The report describes the state of state policy today and highlights notable examples to assist policymakers, agency officials, non-governmental organizations and associations, and others who work to advance quality child care and promote children’s health.

The report includes the following chapters:

• Introduction
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke
• Radon
• Carbon Monoxide Alarms
• Mold and Dampness
• Building Ventilation and Temperature
• Pesticides
• Lead-Based Paint
• Asbestos
• Other Chemical Exposures: Cleaning, Renovation, and Consumer Products
• Facility Site/Location
• State Non-Regulatory Initiatives: Education, Assistance, and Incentives
• Conclusion
• Appendix: Where to Find State Statutes and Regulations Online

To learn more and download the full report visit: http://www.eli.org/buildings/reducing-environmental-exposures-child-care-facilities