Second-hand smoking between neighbors can happen without opening doors or windows, for cigarette smoke can penetrate through tiny gaps in floors and walls, pipes, ventilators, and even through electric outlets. As it is widely known, being exposed to the smoke, which contains more than 7,000 chemicals including 70 carcinogens, is absolutely toxic. Almost 41,000 non-smoking adults and 400 children are killed due to second-hand smoking every year, and other side effects, such as stroke, heart diseases, lung cancer for adults, and sudden infant deaths, asthmatic attack, bronchitis for children, also threaten innocent people.

In order to prevent this threat and protect the family’s health, residents’ spontaneous effort and participation are required more than anything. Designating the whole residential district as a non-smoking area or setting fences, smoke-proof doors, alarm or baby monitor can be an option.

For more details, visit TobaccoFreeCA.com/Korean. Anyone who needs a hand to quit smoking may call Asian Smokers’ Quitline ASQ and get free non-smoking service by a professional counselor. Korean speakers can use (Tel) 1-800- 556-5564 and www.asq-korean.org. ASQ opens at 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., Monday to Friday.