Secondhand Smoke Stories

Secondhand smoke causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, asthma, emphysema, and other serious illnesses. In the U.S. alone, thousands die each year from these illnesses and many more become ill. These aren't just statistics. They're real people, including many right here in Ohio.

I know personally how deadly secondhand smoke can be. My older brother died at the age of 38 because of cancer of the tongue, jaw and neck, caused by secondhand smoke exposure. He never smoked himself, but was around secondhand smoke most of his life. I was luckier, but only a little. Because of exposure to secondhand smoke, I had throat and lung cancer. I survived, but had to have a larengectomy.

Now because of my limited ability to breathe, secondhand smoke is dangerous to me. Since the Clean Indoor Air Act passed in Toledo, I’ve been able to go out with my family and friends to eat and have a drink. Everyone has the right to breathe clean indoor air, and no one should die from someone else’s smoke. I don’t want what happened to my brother and me to happen to anyone else.

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