Tobacco Free AlleghenyAbout Secondhand Smoke Secondhand smoke (also called Passive Smoke, Environmental Tobacco Smoke, or ETS) is a mixture of the unfiltered smoke that comes from burning tobacco and the smoke exhaled by the smoker. Because smoke from a burning cigarette is unfiltered, it may contain twice the amount of tar and nicotine as the smoke that […]
About Tobacco21 Tobacco21 calls for policy change to raise the age to legally purchase tobacco and nicotine products from 18 to 21. Why? Due to a proliferation of new products The National Youth Tobacco Survey reports that in 2017 1 in 5 high schoolers used tobacco products, and 1 in 10 used multiple tobacco products. […]
Pennsylvania’s Act 112 Pennsylvania’s Act 112 prohibits the sale of tobacco products to minors, while federal law bans the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping pens (known as Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, or ENDS) to those under 18 years of age. In Allegheny County, Tobacco Free Allegheny has been authorized to check that stores are not […]
Passionate about tobacco control and public health? We are too! Tobacco Free Allegheny encourages you to speak with community stakeholders and your local legislators to ask for change and support. Here are some of the topics we are currently discussing through education and advocacy: MSA Funding Pennsylvania’s Clean Indoor Air Act Tobacco21 Find tips and […]
About Smokefree Housing Not only does smokefree housing protect the health of your tenants, it reduces your costs, risk, and liability as well. The Facts: Smokefree policies are legal Smokefree policies are not discriminatory. There is no constitutional right to smoke and people who smoke are not a protected class. A smokefree building does not […]
The Pennsylvania Alliance to Control Tobacco (PACT), under the American Lung Association in Pennsylvania, is a statewide coalition that educates the public and elected officials about clean indoor air, tobacco taxes, and other critical tobacco control issues. PACT is primarily funded by a grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Members of PACT include tobacco […]
Smoking rates are declining nationally, but the battle is far from over. Every day, roughly 1,300 Americans die from smoking-related illnesses; that’s 480,000 a year. This isn’t just a national problem – the health effects of tobacco disproportionately affect Western Pennsylvanians: The national average of people who smoke is 17% In Pennsylvania, 19% of residents smoke […]
About Pets and Tobacco People are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of secondhand smoke on non-smokers. Another vulnerable population that is often overlooked is our pets. Our animals share our environment and breathe the same air – when that air is filled with the toxins from cigarette smoke, they can suffer many of […]
About E-Cigarettes E-cigarettes are battery-powered vaporizers that simulate the action and sensation of smoking. They are also known as e-cigs, vape pens, e-hookahs, e-pipes, tanks, mods, vapes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, or ENDS, and more. Some people refer to vaping devices by their brand name such as JUUL, BO, Blu, and others. E-cigarettes contain pre-filled […]
Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) In 1998, 46 states, including Pennsylvania, entered into a Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) with the tobacco industry in which the companies agreed to pay, in perpetuity, annual payments to compensate states for some of the medical costs of caring for persons with smoking-related illnesses. Pennsylvania was allotted an estimated $11 billion […]