Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard

To the editor:

The opponents of smoke-free workplace ordinances seem to feel that requiring smokers to take it outside is like regulating the type of air freshener a business uses because some customers find the scent unpleasant.

Unlike offensive perfumes and room deodorizers, secondhand smoke is more than a mere annoyance. It’s a serious health hazard that causes heart disease, lung cancer and other chronic illnesses and is responsible for nearly 50,000 deaths among nonsmokers in the United States each year. Simply stated, secondhand smoke kills. Smoke-free laws protect against that sort of environmental hazard in the workplace. Allowing that protection to be optional is either naïve, irresponsible or both.

Becky Stoppa,

Wasilla