Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order to improve enforcement of laws prohibiting smoking on Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) trains, buses, and platforms. The move is intended to protect public health by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke for all residents, with particular attention to those at higher risk due to lung diseases.
Individuals living with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or lung cancer may experience severe health effects from even brief exposure to secondhand smoke. These effects can include respiratory distress and hospitalization.
Kristina Hamilton, Director of Advocacy for the American Lung Association in Illinois, commented: “Clean air is not a privilege; it’s a public health necessity, and Mayor Johnson’s executive order sends a clear message that the City of Chicago prioritizes the health of its residents and transit riders. Smoking on platforms or within enclosed CTA trains and buses potentially exposes thousands of daily commuters - including children, seniors and people with chronic respiratory illness - to harmful secondhand smoke. This order looks to help enforce our existing smokefree laws, reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and reinforcing a culture of clean air in our shared public spaces.”
The executive order seeks to reinforce compliance with smokefree regulations already in place throughout the city’s transit system.
