Bear Elliott's video: CDC Tips From Former Smokers: Ellie Story

Ellie enjoys singing and playing the guitar. She loves people and is an active member of the LGBT communities. In her mid-thirties, Ellie was diagnosed with asthma. Ellie never smoked but worked as a bartender in a bar that allowed smoking. Her doctor said her asthma attacks were triggered by secondhand smoke—breathing other people's cigarette smoke. In 1990, she remembers having her first asthma attack. "I had trouble breathing. It was terrifying!" After several hospital visits and on the advice of her doctor, she felt she had no choice but to quit her job and find a job where she wouldn't be exposed to secondhand smoke. Even though she feels better now, Ellie was sad to leave a job she loved. "Everyone deserves to work in a smoke-free workplace," she says.