How many times have you asked for the non-smoking section of a restaurant, only to be led to your table through a haze of smoke - or were subjected to smoke because ceiling fans or air-conditioning vents blew it your way?

It's annoying at best - and potentially hazardous to boot.

Reducing exposure to secondhand smoke is a goal of the Chatham/Effingham Tobacco Use Prevention Coalition (CETUP). In an effort to support clean indoor air, a smoke-free restaurant sub-committee was formed in January 2003 and this summer, the group launched a campaign to educate the community, as well as restaurants, about the benefits of being smoke-free.

The result is a new Smoke-Free Restaurant Guide that is available to the community, as well as visitors. To obtain more information or a list of smoke-free restaurants, call (912) 353-4940, (912) 303-1866 or log on to www.easthealthdistrict.com and click on the health education menu.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Restaurants that allow smoking can have six times the pollution of a busy highway. Secondhand smoke has many of the same poisons as the air around toxic waste dumps.

According to the Savannah MSA Tobacco Attitudes and Awareness Study conducted by Armstrong Atlantic State University's Center for Regional Analysis, 77 percent of respondents always ask for a non-smoking table, this includes 83 percent of non-smokers and nearly 40 percent of smokers. An overwhelmingly vast majority of the community prefers to dine in clean air. As part of this campaign, all Savannah area restaurants were polled to record their policy on smoking.

CETUP is a collaboration of individuals working with community-based organizations to reduce the use and affects of tobacco in our community. CETUP is made up of approximately 65 members from the community who are committed to improving community health through education and prevention of tobacco use and exposure. This coalition was formed in 2000 with a core group of members carrying on tobacco prevention efforts started by Partners for Community Health (a Chatham County Health Department/ Memorial Health Trust Inc. venture). Over the last three years, the coalition in collaboration with the Chatham County Health Department, has funded over 40 grants in the community that address reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, preventing youth initiation of tobacco use, and promoting cessation of tobacco products among youth and adults.

CETUP is currently funding 11 community mini-grants for organizations to promote tobacco use prevention through exhibits, interactive plays, educational sessions and counter-marketing of tobacco products.