EACH DAY, thousands of Colorado restaurant and bar employees work in environments filled with secondhand smoke�environments where the very act of breathing is harmful. Patrons in these environments are also at great risk. Only 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke reduces blood flow to the heart, significantly increasing a nonsmoker�s chances of heart attack and stroke.

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals�and at least 60 of these are known to cause cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified it as a �Group A� carcinogen�the same classification assigned to asbestos.

The issue of secondhand smoke is not a matter of preference; it�s a matter of public health. We all have the right to work, live and play in smoke-free environments. Smoking is a choice. Breathing is not.

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