This is it - Blog Action Day!

On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind - the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.
While we are all global citizens, the smallest of us - our very young children - live primarily in small environments - our homes. It is vitally important to them that we keep their home environments as free from damaging pollutants as we can.
We can All keep our homes free of ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke.
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is the mixture of smoke that comes from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, or cigar, and smoke exhaled by the smoker. It is a complex mixture of over 4,000 compounds, more than 40 of which are known to cause cancer in humans or animals and many of which are strong irritants. ETS is often referred to as "secondhand smoke" and exposure to ETS is often called "passive smoking."

Health Effects of Environmental Tobacco Smoke
In 1992, EPA completed a major assessment of the respiratory health risks of ETS (Respiratory Health Effects of Passive Smoking: Lung Cancer and Other Disorders EPA/600/6-90/006F). The report concludes that exposure to ETS is responsible for approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year in nonsmoking adults and impairs the respiratory health of hundreds of thousands of children.

Infants and young children whose parents smoke in their presence are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections (pneumonia and bronchitis) and are more likely to have symptoms of respiratory irritation like cough, excess phlegm, and wheeze. EPA estimates that passive smoking annually causes between 150,000 and 300,000 lower respiratory tract infections in infants and children under 18 months of age, resulting in between 7,500 and 15,000 hospitalizations each year. These children may also have a build-up of fluid in the middle ear, which can lead to ear infections. Older children who have been exposed to secondhand smoke may have slightly reduced lung function.

Asthmatic children are especially at risk. EPA estimates that exposure to secondhand smoke increases the number of episodes and severity of symptoms in hundreds of thousands of asthmatic children, and may cause thousands of non-asthmatic children to develop the disease each year. EPA estimates that between 200,000 and 1,000,000 asthmatic children have their condition made worse by exposure to secondhand smoke each year. Exposure to secondhand smoke causes eye, nose, and throat irritation. It may affect the cardiovascular system and some studies have linked exposure to secondhand smoke with the onset of chest pain. For publications about ETS, go to Smoke Free Homes web site, the IAQ Publications page.

Reducing Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
Don't smoke at home or permit others to do so. Ask smokers to smoke outdoors.
The 1986 Surgeon General's report concluded that physical separation of smokers and nonsmokers in a common air space, such as different rooms within the same house, may reduce - but will not eliminate - non-smokers' exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.

If smoking indoors cannot be avoided, increase ventilation in the area where smoking takes place.

Open windows or use exhaust fans. Ventilation, a common method of reducing exposure to indoor air pollutants, also will reduce but not eliminate exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Because smoking produces such large amounts of pollutants, natural or mechanical ventilation techniques do not remove them from the air in your home as quickly as they build up. In addition, the large increases in ventilation it takes to significantly reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can also increase energy costs substantially. Consequently, the most effective way to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in the home is to eliminate smoking there.

Do not smoke if children are present, particularly infants and toddlers.

Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of passive smoking. Do not allow baby-sitters or others who work in your home to smoke indoors. Discourage others from smoking around children. Find out about the smoking policies of the day care center providers, schools, and other care givers for your children. The policy should protect children from exposure to ETS.

Why not go that extra step and take The Smoke Free Home Pledge?
It's easy. Here's how:

1. Go to the Pledge Page and read helpful information on making your home and car smoke-free.

2. Simply enter your five digit zip code and push the submit button. (Your pledge is completely anonymous).

3. You're done! You can even get your own Smoke-free Home Pledge Certificate by double-clicking on the certificate. Proudly display this to let your children, family and visitors know you have taken an important step to keep your home and car smoke-free.

Choose not to smoke in your home or car.

Choose never to smoke around young children.

Choose to be a hero!

Remember: It's not enough to move to another room, open a window, turn on a fan, blow smoke away, or use air fresheners or candles.

Keeping your home and car smoke-free may not always be easy, but it is something you can do to protect children's health.

Next Steps

Talk to your family and visitors about the health benefits of a smoke-free home and car. Sign and display your certificate

If someone must smoke, ask that person to do so outside. Be understanding, but let people know that tobacco smoke affects everyone, especially small children.

Make sure that all places your children spend time are smoke-free.

Remember that secondhand smoke can trigger asthma attacks. If your child has asthma, talk to your doctor about how to manage asthma triggers in your home.

If you want to quit smoking, talk to your doctor or call the American Cancer Society's Quitline: 1-877-YES-QUIT (937-7848).

You also order the Smoke-free Home Kit which includes the following Smoke-free Zone awards:

*picture frame magnet to display your favorite photos - perfect for the kitchen

*beverage coasters for family and friends to use around the home

*window decal for the home or car

To order your Smoke-free Home Kit [EPA 402-K-04-001], please call the IAQ Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-438-4318.

Additional information on secondhand smoke is available at www.epa.gov/smokefree/healtheffects.html