You have the right to complain because secondhand smoke, now called ETS - Environmental Tobacco Smoke, is dangerous to your health.

Why is ETS dangerous?

Environmental Tobacco Smoke - is the #3 cause of preventable, premature death in the U.S.

• ETS has been classified as a Group A carcinogen by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This classification is reserved for compounds that have been shown to cause cancer in humans.
• Non-smokers inhale high concentrations of cancer-causing chemicals from the burning end of a cigarette.
• Non-smokers exposed to ETS at work are 39% more likely to get lung cancer than nonexposed, nonsmoking employees.
• Up to 60,000 nonsmokers die each year because of ETS-caused heart disease.
• ETS has been identified as a cause of serious respiratory illness in children.
• Smoking in pregnancy accounts for 20-30% of low birth weight babies, up to 14% of preterm deliveries and 10% of all infant deaths.

What can I do about ETS?

If you are exposed to ETS in Bergen County, and wish to register a complaint, call your municipal building and speak to a health department staff person or call the Bergen County Department of Health Services at (201) 634-2744.