Dear Editor,
The Chinese-American Planning Council–Brooklyn branch agrees that New Yorkers have a right to know if they will be involuntarily exposed to secondhand smoke at home, so they can make an informed decision when choosing a new home (“The Right to Know: Is there a way to tell if your home is really smoke-free?” February, 2013).
This is particularly important since our children are at a much greater risk when it comes to secondhand smoke exposure. Aside from the health risks, secondhand smoke introduces our children to cigarettes at home, when they are already constantly exposed to tobacco products and marketing in many retail stores, chain-store pharmacies, and local bodegas. The more tobacco marketing kids see, the more likely they are to smoke. Ninety percent of smokers who smoke daily start before they turn 18.
Currently, there are 800 licensed pharmacies in New York City, and many of them sell cigarettes. We believe pharmacies should only sell products that promote health. If we want to protect our children’s health, we need to reduce their exposure to tobacco marketing.
Why are 75 percent of the 11,500 licensed tobacco retailers in the city located within 1,000 feet of a school? I’ve worked within the public school system and watching those children grow up is an indescribable joy. It is heartbreaking to see many of them light up cigarettes as they get older. Kids should not be exposed to secondhand smoke at home or tobacco marketing in the stores they frequent.
Sincerely,
Lenny Cheng
Lenny Cheng is the outreach liaison of the Chinese-American Planning Council–Brooklyn branch.
Dear Editor,
Thank you for publishing your recent article “The Right to Know: Is there a way to tell if your home is really smoke-free?” I’m glad to learn that there are efforts underway to ensure all New Yorkers will be able to make an informed choice when deciding where they want to live, and of where the best place is to raise their families, especially if they have young children.
This article struck a personal chord with me. While I am not a parent, I am a senior trainer who works for a non-profit organization called Global Kids. We are an educational, after-school program that focuses on activism and international human rights. Many of my students are residents who live in apartment buildings in East New York, Brooklyn, and attend the High School of Medical Professions. I am aware that they have such concerns as asthma and newborn siblings to worry about.
Because of the alarming statistic that 500,000 New Yorkers are exposed to secondhand smoke in their residential buildings, implementing a disclosure policy would allow their families to make better informed choices of where to reside. A smoking disclosure policy would allow parents to choose to live in an environment where their children will not be exposed to secondhand smoke.
Parents and guardians have a responsibility to protect the health of their children. A smoking disclosure policy can help them do just that. I support the New York City for a Smoke-Free City’s efforts. Parents do have a right to know if their prospective home will put their children in harm’s way. I hope they are successful in their cause.
Sincerely,
Justine Ouano
