Everyone Deserves A Smoke-Free Workplace

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Cody Belew – Musician

“My voice is my instrument. I can’t let it be damaged by smoke. ”
Cody Belew Musician

I’m at a point in my career where I can’t turn down a gig, for any reason. Sometimes that means I have to put my health in jeopardy. When I have to sing in a smoking establishment, I’m at the mercy of the smoke. After a performance in a smoky bar, I can feel the effects of the smoke – in my throat and my nose. It attacks my vocal chords.

I prefer working in nonsmoking establishments, but I don’t always have that choice. The stage is my office. Most people don’t have to deal with secondhand smoke at their jobs. Why should I?

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FACT:
Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer in adults who themselves have never smoked.
FACT:
Even brief secondhand smoke exposure can damage cells in ways that set the cancer process in motion. Some damage is not reversible.
FACT:
The Surgeon General has concluded that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Breathing even a little secondhand smoke can be harmful.
FACT:
Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25‐30%.
FACT:
In Arkansas alone, 540 adults die every year from secondhand smoke exposure.