Protect East End Long Islanders from outdoor second-hand smoke

As summer approaches and Long Islanders and visitors begin to fill up the beaches and local parks, more must be done to protect their lung health from the impact of unwanted and unnecessary second-hand smoke. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified secondhand smoke as a Class A Carcinogen placing it in the same category as radon, benzene, and asbestos. Smoking cigarettes is known to cause heart and lung disease and vaping has been linked to causing harm to the lungs and weakening the immune system. There is no safe amount of second-hand smoke.

“Tobacco-free outdoor spaces have become even more important since COVID-19. Tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable disease and death, killing nearly 28,000 New Yorkers every year. It has been well documented that those that smoke or vape are at higher risk for respiratory illnesses and more severe symptoms for COVID-19,” said Paulette Orlando, community engagement specialist, Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island.

Because children’s lungs are smaller, they breath in more air pollution than an adult making them more susceptible to the dangers associated with tobacco use even if outdoors. Since cigarette butts are such a usual form of litter, especially at beach cleanups, they pose a threat to the health of young children. Small children who tend to pick up items off the ground and place them in their mouths are at risk of poisoning themselves by ingesting a cigarette butt.

“As the weather gets warmer, it is important to implement effective strategies to prevent tobacco and vape exposure around outdoor recreational areas like parks, beaches, and playgrounds. When we prevent exposure to tobacco and vapes in these areas, we protect the health of individuals, our families and young people, and our environment,” said Kelly Miloski, MPH Community Prevention Specialist, Riverhead Community Awareness Program, Inc. (CAP). “Creating Tobacco- and vape-free spaces also sends an important message to our youth that smoking and vaping are risky behaviors that can have a negative impact on health and well-being. It reverses the normalization of these dangerous products.”

Policies and rules that provide for Tobacco- and vape-free spaces reduce secondhand smoke exposure and cigarette pollution making outdoor recreational areas a healthier environment for families and individuals to enjoy. Currently 480 municipalities in New York State have passed regulations restricting tobacco use in outdoor recreational areas, including the Town of Riverhead.

Miloski continued, “The Riverhead Community Coalition for Safe and Drug-Free Youth collaborates with its local partners to prevent exposure to tobacco, vapes, and other substances at local outdoor recreational areas through various environmental strategies such as signage and community scans and outreach. “

Many Long Island communities have enacted such policies. Has yours?

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The Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island (TAC) is funded by the New York State Department of Health’s Bureau of Tobacco Control through a grant administered by the American Lung Association of the Northeast. We work collaboratively to promote environments open to creating a tobacco-free norm as well as address the health inequities that exist in communities across Long Island.