Originally published on AUG. 2, 2016 by Christopher Zoukis published in Prison Legal News August, 2016, page 40

“Tobacco use and secondhand smoke kill over 480,000 people in the United States annually. The mortality rate of smokers is three times higher than those who have never smoked, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and smoking reduces an average smoker’s life expectancy by 10 years compared to non-smokers. While the exact numbers aren’t known, numerous prisoners die every year due to smoking-related ailments such as cancer, stroke, heart disease and chronic lung disease.” …. read the full article here:   https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/2016/aug/2/prison-tobacco-bans-reduce-smoking-related-deaths/

Originally published in Prison Legal News September, 1993, page 1

Donald McKinney was a Nevada state prisoner who filed a civil rights complaint against prison officials, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, claiming that his involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) from his cellmate’s and other inmates’ cigarettes posed an unreasonable risk to his health, thus subjecting him to cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth amendment…. read more here:   https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/news/1993/sep/15/exposure-to-secondary-smoke-can-state-claim/

“Conclusions Smoking contributes to substantial mortality in prison, and prison tobacco control policies are associated with reduced mortality. These findings suggest that smoking bans have health benefits for people
in prison, despite the limits they impose on individual autonomy and the risks of relapse after release.”

Read the complete report on Prison tobacco control policies and deaths from smoking in United States Prisons:
https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Tobacco%20Control%20Policies%20and%20Deaths%20from%20Smoking%20in%20U.S.%20Prisons%20Medical%20Study%20BMJ%202014.pdf