Ten Eighteen!

Recently, Bill 1018 was passed in the Indiana House with a 68-31 vote. Now circling the Senate, this bill holds the potential to require many public places to ban smoking. A comprehensive smoking ban is necessary for the health promotion and disease prevention of the residents of Indiana. “The time has come. We must pass this important legislation,” said Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon from Munster. “It is 100 percent about public safety. This is not only an economic argument but is the right thing to do.”
While in the House, several exemptions were made to the bill before it was passed. Casinos, adult taverns, private clubs, and nursing homes were to be excluded from the smoking ban. Danielle Patterson, the chair of the Indiana Campaign For Smoke-Free Air says, “We are concerned with the current status of the bill. It is not as strong as we would like, so we’re hoping that once it goes to the Senate that we will have the time and our advocates reach their senators so we can strengthen the bill. We want to work on it. We feel that we can make it stronger.” These exemptions need to be removed in order to strengthen the bill and promote a comprehensive smoking ban.
Many people accept the belief that there is no correlation between second-hand smoke and lung cancer. However, in 2006, The Surgeon General’s Report said “Second-hand smoke has been designated as a known human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Toxicology Program, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has concluded that secondhand smoke is an occupational carcinogen.” This means that simply having a designated area in public places for smokers is not adequate enough to eliminate health threats related to second-hand smoke.
Brown and others stressed that this legislation is needed to protect the health of Indiana residents, including employees, from secondhand smoke. "Employees have the right to work in an environment that does not harm their health. That’s really the bottom line." said Rep. Eric Turner from Marion, a co-author of the bill. “We’re not breaking new ground here. Thirty-seven states have some kind of smoking ban.”
Those that are opposed to the bill fear that it will negatively affect certain businesses. However, Rep. Charlie Brown, the Gary Democrat who has lead the anti-smoking fight in the statehouse, argued that since more than 75% of Hoosiers are non-smokers, it's more likely to increase business. With this high of a number of nonsmokers, businesses have nothing to fear when it comes to a loss in business if they convert to non-smoking.
In the past, smoking-ban bills have been presented, but not heard in the Senate. However, this time around, Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, from Fort Wayne, said it will be considered this year. In addition, Gov. Daniels has said he would sign the bill into law if it reaches his desk. Even thought it sounds hopeful that this bill will be passed, ensure its success by making your voice matter. Promote smoke-free air in public places by encouraging your senators to pass Bill 1018!

To find out more about how to contact your senators, go to www.IN.gov/sliverheader.com

Katelin Morgan & Laura Cuzzort,
Indiana Wesleyan University School of Nursing

Tobacco Coalition Town Hall Meeting for Smoke Free Air

Pictured above are Town Hall Meeting attendees listening to panelist share from a variety of different aspects about the necessity for and benefits of smoke-free air ordinances.

Raising their Voices @ the State Fair

This group of Voice studenst from Grant County brought a lot of energy to the State Fair! They worked at the Voice booth for hours and also marched in the parade. This is just one of the many cheers they came up with!

Grant County's VOICE now on Facebook!

Greetings!

Thank-you for taking the time to check out this blog and become more involved with tobacco prevention & cessation in Grant County. I appreciate all of your support! You can now follow even more of Grant County's Voice (teens speaking out against the tobacco industries) activity by joining the "Grant County's VOICE" group on Facebook!

Have a wonderful day!

Jenalee Veenkant
ITPC Coordinator

Upward Bound Voice Students Speak Out!

Voice Collage Boards

This is a collage board created by two of this summer's Upward Bound 10th grade Voice students. They did an excellent job of creating something that looks great & speaks truth. The collage board titled, "Avoiding Tobacco" is divided into 4 sections. The upper right focuses on protecting image, the bottom right highlights the benefits of saving money, and the bottom left emphasizes staying healthy. All of these three areas of the collage are the benefits of abstaining from tobacco. The upper left section exposes the horrible toxins that are in tobacco.

Tobacco Free Grant County

Creating a Healthier Community Together * Please join us for our Tobacco Coalition Meeting at Marion Public Library Mtg. Rm. B at 6:00pm on Monday, July 26.