January 10, 2018
Carson City, NV – The arrival of the new year marks Nevada’s eleventh year enjoying clean indoor air. The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act (NCIAA) celebrated its official anniversary on December 8th, 2017. The anniversary highlights the progress Nevada has made in protecting its citizens against unnecessary health risks while underscoring an active push toward a more comprehensive smoke-free policy.
The NCIAA went into effect in December 2006 after it was passed by Nevada voters in November 2006. The policy has faced many legal challenges since passage and in 2011, the policy was amended to exclude establishments that prohibit those under the age of 21 from entering. Today, the NCIAA protects school and childcare facilities, grocery and convenience stores, shopping malls, video arcades, government and public buildings, restaurants, and movie theatres. The NCIAA continues to encounter challenges as the tobacco industry innovates, including the development and advancement of e-cigarettes and other vaping products. Maintaining, protecting and expanding the benefits provided by the NCIAA continues to be a priority emphasized by tobacco control initiatives within the state.
Inhalation of secondhand tobacco smoke contributes to chronic diseases that are characteristics of direct tobacco use including: asthma, cancer, heart disease and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Health care costs in Nevada directly caused by smoking are $1.08 billion annually. Children are disproportionately impacted by secondhand smoke inhalation; today, 41,000 children in Nevada under the age of 18 are expected to die of tobacco related causes.1 The Nevada Clean Indoor Act seeks to protect those considered most vulnerable.
“As we reflect on the 11th anniversary of Nevada’s Clean Indoor Act, we recognize the positive impact this law has had on the health, comfort, and environment of the citizens of Nevada by limiting the exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Clean air provides a huge return on the public’s investment including reduced health care costs and lost work and school days. The Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Section at the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health strives to continue the work of protecting public health by supporting further reduction of secondhand smoke exposure in Nevada,” said Jennifer Bonk, Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Section Manager at the Division of Public and Behavioral Health.
To file a NCIAA violation complaint, please visit Washoe County Health District, Southern Nevada Health District, Carson City Health and Human Services, or call your local health authority.
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1 Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 2017