At Home

Make the decision to stop allowing smoking in your home. If visitors or household members must smoke, ask those persons to smoke outside. Click below to make a pledge:

Epa's Smoke-Free Home Pledge

In Public Places

Most clean indoor air regulations prohibit secondhand smoke in enclosed public places, such as waiting rooms, lobbies, hallways and elevators. They also prohibit or restrict secondhand smoke in restaurants, bars, and other businesses.

Know the law concerning secondhand smoke in your community and take advantage of it. File a complaint with your local health department about problems.

Let business owners know that you prefer to patronize establishments that are smoke-free.

If your community does not have an adequate clean indoor air regulation, your involvement can help to enact one. Contacting your local health department is a good place to start.

At Work

Most clean indoor air regulations have at least some restrictions on secondhand smoke in the workplace and some prohibit it entirely. Regardless of the type of work environment, there are many ways to advocate for a smoke-free workplace.

Become a participant in the Worksite Wellness Tobacco Policy Program, a service of Wellness Council of West Virginia.

Work with your manager and labor organization to establish a smoke-free policy. Provide information and sample policies. Join with others in speaking to or writing individual letters to management.

Click on the link for the CDC's publication Making Your Workplace Smoke-free.

File a complaint with the appropriate local, state or federal authorities, if warranted.

Getting Started on a Smoke-Free Campaign

If starting a smoke-free campaign in your community is something that interests you, there are many national, state and local organizations that can help. The WV Division of Tobacco Prevention and Smoke-free WV can help communities seek out a local coalition or organization involved in tobacco prevention efforts.

Here is an overview of how a typical smoke-free campaign might progress from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).