Restaurants voluntarily chose to go smoke free and promote clean indoor air to protect the public, their employees, and their families from potentially lethal toxic poisons. Judy Martin with the HHSS Tobacco Free Nebraska Program praised the 775 restaurants, saying they are leading by example and that the number of smoke-free restaurants is increasing continuously. She said public awareness of the health hazards and the decreasing social acceptance of tobacco have reduced the number of adult smokers in Nebraska. The Guide also contains information about the health effects of environmental tobacco smoke, also called second-hand smoke, which is the third leading cause of preventable death.
Primary smoking is number one and alcohol-related vehicle crashes are number two.
In addition, over 320 Nebraska nonsmokers die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke, or nearly one person a day.