Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act went into effect in 2006, banning smoking inside restaurants, bars and most indoor establishments. The law also prohibits smoking within 15 feet of a public place, although according to a tobacco study conducted by Stanford University, 25 feet is the recommended distance to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke. The Clean Indoor Air Act has led to about 100,000 fewer smokers statewide and protected bystanders from the dangers of secondhand smoke, according to Smoke-Free Colorado.org, an initiative for Colorado's tobacco-free communities. Despite the change to Colorado law, further action is needed to fully protect nonsmokers from the harms of secondhand smoke and to prevent exposure to adolescents under age 18. Therefore, the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act must be expanded to include outdoor activities in cities. and state public areas. Legal protection is necessary for nonsmokers because exposure to secondhand smoke means exposure to thousands of poisons. The U.S. Surgeon General describes secondhand smoke intake through inhaling two different smoke sources: mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke. Traditional smoking is generated by the exhalation of cigarette smoke directly from a smoker which is then inhaled by bystanders. Lateral flow smoke is smoke that is released from the back of a smoker's lit cigarette and is inhaled by others. Sidestream smoke is produced at lower temperatures and contains higher concentrations of the 7,000 chemicals found in cigarettes. US agencies and programs such as the Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Toxicology Program have all indicated... in the middle of the paper... the rights of non-smokers from the poisonous recreational activity of smoking. For more information and online petitions visit the American for Non-smokers Right (ANR) webpage or send an email [email protected], The Colorado Board of Health with general questions. To initiate a legal change and find out how you can get involved, contact Rochelle Manchego, Colorado Program Coordinator for the Tobacco Review Board. Ms. Manchego's number is 303-692-2698 or you can attend a committee meeting on the third Friday of each month from 1 to 4:30 pm at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CPHHE) in Denver. "The meetings are open to the public and can be attended in person or via telephone conference." Help create healthy change and protect the people of Colorado by amending Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act to include public outdoor areas.