Community Corner
‘Dark Balloons’ Surrounded Fairfield and Suisun City Halls
Highlighting Secondhand Smoke Risks
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BY TOBACCO FREE SOLANO COALITION
Commemorating the World Health Organization’s World No Tobacco Day, volunteers placed hundreds of black balloons throughout Fairfield and Suisun City’s civic centers, symbolizing two silent killers stalking residents—secondhand smoke and vape aerosol emissions.
“Our city leaders must seriously consider simple, common-sense measures that keep our community safe,” said Rebecca Floyd, Co-Chair of Tobacco Free Solano, a coalition promoting local action on secondhand smoke and vape. “On top of the countless health risks, secondhand smoke also lowers our quality of life and makes it harder to run a small business. We all have a right to clean air and good health, everywhere we go—including at home, a local restaurant or a city park.”
Secondhand smoke is a proven killer. It contains over 7,000 chemicals, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 that are known to cause cancer. Exposure to secondhand smoke—including e-cigarette aerosol emissions, which contain particulate matter and thousands of chemicals—has been linked to numerous health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease and respiratory issues, such as childhood asthma and bronchitis.
Despite these known risks, the cities of Fairfield and Suisun City continue to allow smoking and vaping in apartment buildings, within outdoor dining areas and throughout public spaces—exposing vulnerable neighbors, workers and customers alike.
Unlike single-family homeowners, apartment and condo residents have little to no protection from secondhand smoke and vape aerosol. Particles can infiltrate their homes through neighboring ventilation shafts, walls and balconies. Likewise, we’re all potentially exposed every time we visit the park or sit next to someone who smokes or vapes while dining outside.
According to the American Lung Association’s State of Tobacco Control 2024, both cities have earned failing grades for their local tobacco policies. Fairfield and Suisun City permit smoking in shared outdoor areas, apartments, condos and restaurant patios. What’s worse, neither has instituted a Tobacco Retail License program nor have implemented rules restricting flavored tobacco products, two key elements necessary to keep fruity, colorful—and federally illegal—vaping products out of the hands of children and teenagers.
“It’s a shame to see our community failing to protect its residents, with much of the burden falling on our most vulnerable, including people of color and lower income families who do not have many housing options,” said Floyd. “We all need to remember that the fight against Big Tobacco did not end in the 1990s—the industry continues to reinvent itself to appeal to new customers. We must take these risks seriously so we can save lives.”
Solano County residents can learn more about the risks of secondhand smoke and potential solutions to build a healthier community, at tobaccofreesolano.org.
Tobacco Free Solano Coalition (TFS) has led tobacco free advocacy efforts in Solano County since 1990. The TFS advises the county’s Tobacco Prevention and Education Program and actively engages the community in tobacco prevention efforts.
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