Adults
Smoking in public places
On November 7th 2006, Nevadans voted to protect our children, friends, and family members from secondhand smoke. As of December 8th 2006, smoking is no longer permitted in any indoor place of employment. The only exceptions are the following:
- Bars that do not cook food
- Casino gaming floors
- Tobacco shops
- Private residences (unless used for child care or health care)
- Hotel/motel rooms (if permitted by operator)
- Strip clubs/brothels
The Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act also gave local governments (i.e., the City of Reno, City of Sparks, and Washoe County) the authority to pass stricter laws about smoking and tobacco. These governments do not have the authority to add more exceptions to the law.
For more information on the Nevada Clean Indoor Air Act, visit: www.washoecounty.us/health/cchs/smokingban.html.
You can do it!
The best thing you can do for your health and the health of your family is to never start using tobacco. If do use tobacco, then do everything you can to quit. The benefits begin almost immediately and get better and better:
- Within 20 minutes – your blood pressure, pulse rate, and the temperature of your hands and feet return to normal.
- Within 8 hours – oxygen level in the blood increases to normal.
- Within 24 hours – your risk of a heart attack begins to drop.
- Within 2 days – your nerve endings start to re-grow, and your senses of smell and taste improve.
- Within 3 days – your breathing gets easier, and your lung capacity increases.
- Within 2 weeks to 3 months – your circulation improves, lung function improves up to 30%, and walking gets easier.
- Within 1-9 months – your lung cilia regrow; coughing, sinus problems and shortness of breath decrease; and you’ll have more energy.
If you have tried to quit before, remember that quitting takes practice, but there are some things you can do that will help:
- Write down all of the reasons why you want to quit, and refer to this list when you have a craving.
- Set a quit day, and create a quit plan.
- Tell your family, friends and co-workers that you will be quitting.
- Remember the 5 Ds to help you get through the cravings:
- Delay: The craving will eventually go away.
- Deep breath: Take a few calming deep breaths.
- Drink water: It will flush out the chemicals.
- Do something else: Find a new, healthy habit.
- Discuss: Talk about your thoughts and feelings.
- Get support at Smoking Cessation Opportunities in Washoe County
- Until you are tobacco-free, do not use tobacco in the precense of others.
You can quit without gaining weight
- Sometimes people that quit tobacco gain weight at first. Having a better sense of smell and taste, an increased appetite, or a habit of having something in your mouth can lead to eating more food than usual. Then, weight gain can happen.
- Don’t let this stop you from quitting! Many people who have quit never gained weight, and those that did lost it within 6 months.
- To avoid gaining weight, the two best things you can do are to eat healthy and to be physically active.* If you need to have something in your mouth, use gum or a toothpick instead of food.
Q & A
Q: A local business is allowing smoking inside their establishment. Is there a way I can file a complaint?
A: If you find a location that you believe should not be allowing smoking, a complaint can be filed via the Health Department’s website or by calling 328-2434. Please be aware that anonymous complaints are not accepted.
Q: I want to quit using tobacco. Is there anything out there to help me?
A: There are a number of local resources that can assist you or someone you love in quitting tobacco. If you have tried to quit before, remember that quitting takes practice.
- Nevada Tobacco Users Helpline – 1-888-866-6642.
- American Lung Association – 829-5864.
- UNR Student Health Center 784-6598.
- Saint Mary’s Health and Wellness – 770-7100.
- Renown – 982-5073.
- Your doctor or health care provider can help, too, including prescriptions for Nicotine Replacement Therapy and other medications proven to help you quit. Some have also found alternative medicines such as acupuncture and hypnosis helpful.
For an up-to-date list of cessation resources in Washoe County, view: Smoking Cessation Opportunities in Washoe County
