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A Long-Awaited Breath of Fresh Air Blows in Virginia
12/2/2009
Legacy Applauds Smoking Restrictions in Most Restaurants and Bars In the Heart of Tobacco Country
Washington, D.C. – LegacySM commends Governor Timothy M. Kaine and the Virginia General Assembly for leading the charge to ban smoking in most restaurants and bars in the Commonwealth, which is effective today. Today’s action comes on the heels of the CDC’s report on the rise of adult smoking rates and is a necessary and positive trend in achieving the national health objective to have a 12% adult smoking rate next year.
While Legacy celebrates this victory, more needs to be done to help the 46 million Americans who still smoke. According to the SEER Cancer Statistics Review, Virginia had the 19th highest lung cancer mortality rate among all states. Despite funding from the Master’s Settlement Agreement, lung cancer still remains a major health issue in a state known for its long-standing history of commercial tobacco crops and tobacco auctions. The Commonwealth is transforming its history with today’s ban, which is a major step to improve health and environmental conditions.
The enactment of this ban not only provides Virginia smokers with another reason to quit this holiday season, but also helps further reduce second smoke exposure. For those smokers looking to quit, EX®, a national quit smoking campaign, sponsored by the National Alliance for Tobacco Cessation (NATC), a two-year old collaborative of state and national public health groups spearheaded by Legacy, provides free resources that can help smokers “re-learn” life without cigarettes. For more information on the program visit http://www.BecomeAnEX.org/.
LegacySM is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps American live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation’s programs include truth®, a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.legacyforhealth.org/.
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Contact: Julia Cartwright, 202-454-5596, jcartwright@legacyforhealth.org