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It has been almost two years since the issuance of the 2006 Surgeon General's landmark report on The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke. The report reached two overarching conclusions: First, the scientific evidence is overwhelming and indisputable that secondhand smoke causes serious diseases and premature death in adults and children. Second, smoke-free workplace policies are the only completely effective way to eliminate secondhand smoke in the workplace.

The report's major findings include:

* Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer and heart disease in nonsmoking adults and of sudden infant death syndrome, low birth weight, acute respiratory infections, ear infections and asthma attacks in infants and children. It is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year. It is estimated that secondhand smoke kills between 90 to 120 Alaskans each year.

* There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The report concurs with the recent findings of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, that air ventilation technology or separate smoking and nonsmoking sections are not adequate solutions and do not protect health.

* Exposure to secondhand smoke has substantial and immediate adverse effects on cardiovascular and respiratory health.

* The only way to protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke is to require smoke-free workplaces and public places.

* Evidence from peer-reviewed studies shows smoke-free policies do not have an adverse economic impact on the hospitality industry.

The Surgeon General's report has fueled the already growing momentum across the country and the world to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air. In the United States, 27 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have now passed smoke-free laws that require 100 percent smoke-free workplaces and/or restaurants and/or bars. The states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

Hundreds of cities and counties also have passed strong smoke-free laws. In addition, at least 24 countries have enacted nationwide smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars. They are Bermuda, Bhutan, British Virgin Islands, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Malta, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Uruguay and Wales.

As the report concludes, the evidence also is clear that smoke-free laws protect health without harming business. Dozens of studies and hard economic data have shown that smoke-free laws do not harm sales or employment in restaurants and bars, and sometimes have a positive impact.

Some of the strongest evidence comes from New York City, where a 2004 report found that, in the year after the city's comprehensive smoke-free law took effect March 30, 2004, business receipts for restaurants and bars increased, employment rose, the number of liquor licenses increased, virtually all establishments were complying with the law, and the vast majority of New Yorkers supported the law.

An April 2005 study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that Massachusetts' smoke-free law did not affect sales or employment in the state's restaurants, bars and nightclubs after taking effect in July 2004. Other smoke-free countries, state and cities have had similar experiences. A comprehensive summary of the evidence that smoke-free laws do not harm business can be found online at www.tobaccofreekids.org/research/factsheets.

There also is growing evidence that smoke-free laws can save money. A study released in August 2005 by the Society of Actuaries found that secondhand smoke costs our country $10 billion a year in health care bills, lost wages and other costs.

The Surgeon General's report leaves no doubt that secondhand smoke is a serious threat to human health and that we can eliminate this threat with comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws. Now we have an obligation to act on these findings and work toward protecting all citizens from the dangers of tobacco smoke by putting laws in place in our own communities.

Jennifer Olendorff is the program and grant coordinator for the Peninsula Smokefree Partnership in Soldotna. Information for this column was provided by the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics; CDC, Smoking Attributable Morbidity, Mortality and Economic Costs.