Havre celebrates 10 years of smoke-free indoor air

From the Havre Encourages Long-Range Prevention Committee

In 2005, the Montana Legislature passed the Clean Indoor Air Act — CIAA — one of the most important public health policies in state history. The law was fully implemented on Oct. 1, 2009.

The U.S. Surgeon General concluded in 2006 that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and stated that the only way to protect public health is to eliminate exposure. Tobacco smoke carries at least 250 chemicals that are known to be toxic or carcinogenic, causing lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other fatal ailments. Commercial tobacco addiction is the number one cause of preventable death in the state, killing 1,600 citizens every year in Montana alone.

Designed to protect Montanans from the health dangers of secondhand smoke, the CIAA prohibits use of tobacco products in all enclosed public places and workplaces. Montana is among 17 other states in the nation that have 100 percent smoke-free laws in non-hospitality workplaces, restaurants, bars and gambling venues.

The CIAA protects bystanders from exposure to deadly secondhand smoke, encourages adults to quit tobacco use and prevents youth from starting to use tobacco in the first place. Since the full implementation of the law, adult cigarette smoking declined from 22 percent in 2011 to 18 percent in 2018 and youth cigarette smoking declined from 17 percent in 2011 to 8 percent in 2019.

Compliance with the CIAA has strengthened over time. In 2010, there were 90 valid complaints and in 2018, there were only 24 statewide. Local Tobacco Prevention Specialist, Jay Schuschke of Havre’s HELP Committee, states, “Local compliance with the law seems to be very high. Many businesses and individual citizens have voiced their appreciation for the cleaner, healthier indoor environments the law has created.”

The work isn’t over yet. E-cigarettes were introduced to the U.S. market in 2007, two years after the Montana Legislature passed the CIAA. Since then, e-cigarettes have grown immensely in popularity, particularly among youth and young people. E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth in Montana. According to the latest statewide data, more than half of Montana high school students have tried e-cigarettes and 30 percent of high school students currently use e-cigarettes compared to only 4 percent of Montana adults.

The content of e-cigarettes is not yet regulated, resulting in uncertainty as to what is in the aerosol released from these products. However, the U.S. Surgeon General has stated that e-cigarette aerosol is not as safe as clean air. Studies have shown that e-cigarette aerosol can contain nicotine, metals, ultrafine particles and chemicals that have been known to cause respiratory disease and cancer.

Exposure to nicotine, in any form, is unsafe for youth, pregnant women and developing fetuses. Studies have found levels of nicotine in e-cigarette aerosol similar to levels found in cigarette smoke. Non-smokers who are exposed to conventional cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosol absorb similar levels of nicotine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health urge communities to take action to include e-cigarettes in local smoke-free policies.

In 2019, the Montana Legislature passed House Bill 413, which prohibits the use of e-cigarettes in public school buildings or on public school property. Additionally, 10 localities in Montana have added e-cigarettes into their local smoke-free laws to protect workers and the public from exposure to these products.

“The more communities that include e-cigarettes in their local smoke-free policies, the more Montanans will be protected from the potential dangers of e-cigarette aerosol,” Schuschke said.

For more information on the CIAA, visit http://tobaccofree.mt.gov .

For help with compliance, including no-cost smoke-free signage for businesses, call Jay Schuschke at 265-6206 ext. 309.

For help quitting, call the Montana Tobacco Quit Line, a free service available to all Montanans who would like to quit using all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Calling the Quit Line is toll-free at 1-800-QUIT NOW 1-800-784-8669 or visit the website at http://QuitNowMontana.com to enroll.