Campaign Applauds EPA's Smoke-free Home Pledge Initiative to Protect Kids from Second Hand Smoke
Statement By Matthew L. Myers, President Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
October 16, 2001
Washington, DC — Overwhelming evidence of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke has been well known and steadily growing for two decades. We applaud the Bush Administration's recognition of the importance of acting to curtail the harms of exposing children to secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke causes serious respiratory problems in children, such as greater severity of asthma attacks and lower respiratory infections. By encouraging parents to 'Go out for Your Kids: Take the Smoke-Free Home Pledge,' the Environmental Protection Agency has taken a major step to protect America's kids from the harms of tobacco use.
We hope this means that measures to protect children in their homes, as well as both children and adults in other settings, will be a priority.