Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the United States. It causes different types of cancers, chronic lung diseases, heart disease, pregnancy-related problems, and other serious health problems.

• In 2008, the adult smoking prevalence in Imperial County was 16.4% and in 2010 the youth smoking prevalence was 14.2%, according to the County and Statewide Archive of Tobacco Statistics CSTATS,

An estimated 49,000 Americans die each year as a direct result of secondhand smoke exposure.

• Secondhand smoke seeps under doorways and through cracks in walls and floors. It drifts from one unit to another through shared air spaces and ventilation systems, electrical outlets, plumbing fixtures, and from outdoor balconies, patios, and common areas.

There is no longer any question about the harmful and, potentially fatal, effects of secondhand smoke.

• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies secondhand smoke as a Class A carcinogen, placing it in the most dangerous category with radon, benzene, and asbestos.
• According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, secondhand smoke causes an estimated 46,000 premature deaths from heart disease each year in the United States among nonsmokers.
• Children, whose young lungs are still developing, are especially at risk. Secondhand smoke can trigger asthma attacks in children and can increase the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. A severe asthma attack can put a child's life in danger.
• The U.S. Fire Administration’s 2006-2010 National Fire Incident Report showed that smoking continues to be the single leading cause (24%) of civilian home fire deaths.