WHEREAS, smoking accounts for over 400,000 deaths annually, with over 42,000 of these deaths occurring among Californians; and
WHEREAS, Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS), or exposure to secondhand smoke, is estimated to cause an additional 53,000 deaths in the United States, primarily due to lung cancer and heart disease; and
WHEREAS, a recently-published study suggests that nonsmoking women exposed to the tobacco smoke of co-workers have a 34 percent higher risk of developing lung cancer, which is even higher than the risk of exposure to tobacco smoke from a spouse or household member; and
WHEREAS, ETS is classified as a carcinogen under California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, and has recently been designated as a Class A carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency; and
WHEREAS, attempts at air cleaning using mechanical air filters, electronic air cleaners, ion generators, or hybrid devices are expensive, and uniformly fail to effectively remove gaseous pollutants; and
WHEREAS, smoking has been shown to create additional costs to employers associated with building maintenance and fire insurance, employee absenteeism, medical insurance and disability, and lower worker productivity;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PETE WlLSON, Governor of the State of California, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the Constitution and statutes of the Stale of California, do hereby issue this order to become effective as noted below: