Young Woman with Asthma Dies at Work from Secondhand Smoke1
This could happen to your loved one. A young waitress never returned home from her part- time job at a smoky bar after collapsing from an asthma attack. She was declared dead before she could be transported to the Emergency Room. After an investigation, officials concluded that her death was caused by secondhand smoke exposure while on the job.
Did you know… there are 1,332 visits to the Emergency Room for asthma in Northern Kentucky on average every year?
- With a strong smoke-free law in Northern Kentucky (Boone, Campbell, Kenton counties), the number of Emergency Room visits for asthma could be reduced by 300 each year.2-3
- Northern Kentucky would save approximately $249,758 every year in health care costs for asthma if strong smoke-free laws were implemented in all three counties.3
Figure: Projected Reductions in Emergency Room Visits for Asthma after a Strong Smoke-free Law in Northern Kentucky
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- Stanbury M, Chester, D, Hanna, EA, & Rosenman, KD. How many deaths will it take? A death from asthma associated with work-related environmental tobacco smoke. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2008;51:111-116.
- Rayens MK, Burkhart PV, Zhang M, et al. Reduction in asthma-related emergency department visits after implementation of a smoke-free law. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2008;122(3):537-541.e533.
- Ohio Hospital Association. Asthma - ED Visits Treated and Released, 2005 - 2008; 2006.
