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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) would like to say, “Thanks from the bottom of our lungs” as it celebrates the 5th anniversary of the Smoke-Free Illinois Act (SFIA). Illinois enacted the SFIA on January 1, 2008 and was the 13th state to have a comprehensive smoke-free law prohibiting smoking in workplaces, restaurants, bars, theaters, museums, schools, casinos and other enclosed public places. On January 1, 2013, the Department is launching the “Thanks from the bottom of our lungs” campaign to encourage Illinoisans to continue to support smoke-free environments and the health benefits they bring.
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“Breathing in secondhand smoke can cause lung cancer and heart disease in adults who don’t smoke. In children, secondhand smoke can increase the risk of serious respiratory problems, such as more frequent and severe asthma attacks, as well as respiratory tract infections,” said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. “Tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of early death in the Untied States, but thanks to the Smoke-Free Illinois Act, we can collectively take a breath of fresh air in Illinois knowing that more people than ever are enjoying smoke-free environments.”
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A 2006 U.S. Surgeon General report estimated that exposure to secondhand smoke kills around 50,000 people a year in the United States, including about 2,000 people in Illinois.
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After the SFIA was enacted in 2008, the number of people who reported smoking in Illinois declined from 21.3 percent in 2008 to 16.9 percent in 2010. The number of people who called the Illinois Tobacco Quitline increased dramatically after the SFIA became law rising from 7,629 calls in 2008 to 24,575 calls in 2012; a 45 percent increase.
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Most adults, 91 percent, report no exposure to secondhand smoke in indoor public places in Illinois. Continued efforts to support the SFIA include eliminating exposure to secondhand smoke in outdoor areas such as hospital or college campuses, as well as in multi-unit housing.
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For help quitting smoking, call the Illinois Tobacco Quitline at 1-866-QUIT-YES. For more information on the Smoke-Free Illinois Act log onto http://www.idph.state.il.us/smokefree/sf_info.htm.
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