Statement from American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold Wimmer, in response to today's release of "CDC Vital Signs: Disparities in Nonsmokers' Exposure to Secondhand Smoke" report.

(February 3, 2015)—

"No child should ever breathe secondhand smoke. We are deeply troubled to see that seven in ten African-American children and two in five children overall are still exposed to this lethal smoke. The continued exposure of children to secondhand smoke must stop.

"The American Lung Association is encouraged that the overall number of Americans exposed to secondhand smoke decreased by 50 percent between 1999-2000 and 2011-2012.  

"We recognize our nation can breathe more safely because of smokefree laws the American Lung Association and our partners have worked so hard to pass these last 15 years. However, more needs to be done as one in four nonsmokers continue to be exposed to secondhand smoke, including many children. 

"The American Lung Association remains committed to fighting for comprehensive smokefree laws in all 50 states so that no one will be exposed to secondhand smoke in workplaces and public places.

"The American Lung Association will continue to push the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to require all government-subsidized housing be made smokefree. Today's study finds that while there has been a significant reduction in exposure to secondhand smoke among people who rent their homes, renters are still almost twice as likely to be exposed to secondhand smoke compared to those who own their own homes.

"The American Lung Association is committed to eliminating the exposure to all lethal secondhand smoke, and the distressing results from the CDC Vital Signs report also underscores how important it is that smokers not smoke in their homes or their cars."

The American Lung Association has an online curriculum and other materials on how to implement smokefree policies in multi-family housing on its website at Lung.org/smokefreehousing.