Tobacco.org

• Secondhand Smoke Found in 94 Percent of Public Places in Latin America 

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Pan American Health Organization and other institutions have found carcinogenic secondhand smoke in a significant number of public places throughout Latin America. Smoke-free, indoor environments are one way nonsmokers can avoid premature death and disease as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke. The scientific evidence supports the 2001 Pan American Health Organization’s Smoke-Free Americas initiative, which was established to achieve smoke-free, indoor environments in Latin America and the Caribbean. The study researchers documented the extent and location of exposure to smoke in indoor locations in seven capital cities. They also identified the most critical areas for control. The study, “Secondhand Tobacco Smoke in Public Places in Latin America, 2002-2003” was published in the June 9, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

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