Why ONE Step?
Secondhand smoke is a serious health hazard causing more than 41,000 deaths per year in the United States (2). Secondhand smoke causes approximately 7,330 deaths from lung cancer and 33,950 deaths from heart disease each year (3). It can cause or make worse a wide range of damaging health effects in children and adults, including lung cancer, respiratory infections, and asthma. Children are especially vulnerable to the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke – especially asthmatic children.
When it comes to smoky environments and exposure to second- or thirdhand smoke, children’s exposure is involuntary. That is why providing resources and cleaning up the environments children share on a daily basis is extremely important. ONE Step helps to do this through education and accessible resources to engage professionals and parents in conversations focused on the effects of secondhand smoke on children and provides steps to protect children.