Sample Letter to the Editor

[DATE]
Letters to the Editor

[name of newspaper]

Address

Fax

Dear Editor:

Plain and simple, secondhand smoke is a major health threat to us all. At least 38,000 nonsmokers die every year from heart disease and lung cancer caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. And it's not just people who live with a smoker who are at risk. Even occasional exposure to secondhand smoke, in the office or in a restaurant, for example, can be fatal.

The recent Surgeon General's report indicated there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that exposure of adults to secondhand smoke has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system and causes coronary heart disease and lung cancer. 2 There is no “safe” amount of secondhand smoke. The only way to truly protect the health of our loved ones is through smoke-free work places, homes, restaurants, and other public places. Secondhand smoke isn't just an annoyance, it's a dangerous to the health of us all.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Address]