Secondhand Smoke
Secondhand smoke is a combination of the smoke emitted from the burning end of a cigarette, pipe, vaping device, or cigar, and the smoke exhaled from the lungs of smokers. This mixture contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including many that are toxic and about 70 that are known to cause cancer.
Report a Complaint or Concern about Secondhand Smoke
The Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act (CCIAA) has been updated to protect most indoor places from secondhand smoke and aerosol. Nearly all indoor public places are smoke and vape-free, including restaurants, bars, libraries, all hotel/motel units, theaters, common areas in multi-unit dwellings, and many other places. A building’s main entryway must also be smoke and vape-free and smoking or vaping should not take place within 25 feet of that entryway (unless otherwise stated by local code).
Exemptions
Private homes, cigar bars, tobacco and vape retailers, limos under private hire, and marijuana tasting rooms are among the few exceptions to the law. Some retailers will be required to post age-restricted signage by October 1, 2019. Contact TEPP for more information, sign resources, and education.
Local Regulations
Boulder County municipalities may have adopted stricter regulations regarding smoking and vaping, so be sure to check your local code. Property owners and managers are also allowed to implement stricter code under the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, so check your workplace and organizational rules, too.
Tips to Meet Clean Indoor Air Requirements
Whether you are a business owner or a Boulder County resident, here are a few tips to make sure that the requirements of the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act are being met:
- Learn more about the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act expansion and recent updates.
- Do not allow smoking or vaping within 25 feet of the main entryway.
- Post no-smoking and no-vaping signs at all building or facility entrances.
- Remove all ashtrays and other cigarette disposal containers from the main entryway to reduce confusion.
- Download our free sign template, public factsheet, or request additional free resources from the Tobacco Education & Prevention Partnership.
- When possible, try to avoid smoking or vaping near all entryways, operable windows, or in outdoor areas where the public gather to reduce drift.
- If you’d like to kindly ask that someone not to smoke or vape near you, check out these conversation starters.
Report a Complaint or Concern about Secondhand Smoke
Health Risks
There is no safe-level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even small exposures can trigger a heart attack, an asthma attack, or a stroke.
Secondhand smoke has been classified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a known cause of lung cancer in humans (Group A carcinogen). It is estimated that over 7,000 lung cancer deaths occur in U.S. adult nonsmokers as a result of secondhand smoke exposure.
Secondhand smoke is a serious health risk to children. Health effects seen in children exposed to secondhand smoke include increased risk of lower respiratory tract infections, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, and ear infections; build-up of fluid in the middle ear; increased severity and frequency of asthma episodes; decreased lung function; and an increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Learn More
Report a Complaint or Concern about Secondhand Smoke