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| U.S. Surgeon General Report |
“The debate is over. The science
is clear.
Secondhand smoke is not a mere
annoyance, but a serious health
hazard.”
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| -- June 27, 2006 |
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Breathe Free Mat-Su is a coalition of health advocates and concerned citizens committed to improving the health of our community by creating an environment free from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke.
Secondhand smoke kills an estimated 50,000 nonsmokers in the United States each year. Over the past decade, hundreds of communities, including some in Alaska, have led efforts to protect public health by adopting smoke free laws.
We believe people in the Mat-Su Valley deserve that same protection. We encourage businesses, including restaurants and bars, to adopt voluntary smoke free policies, and we are working to build support for local clean air ordinances similar to those in Anchorage and Juneau.
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When I worked for Hospice of Mat-Su, over time, I watched a husband who smoked be admitted to hospice with terminal emphysema. Two years later, I watched his spouse who never smoked be admitted for lung cancer. It doesn't have to be that way. Everyone has a right to clean indoor air.
Elizabeth Ripley, Executive Director, Mat-Su Health Foundation |
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“Before we went smokefree, whether you worked in the smoking section or not you still had to be around it all the time. You left smelling like smoke. And
a lot of people just wouldn’t come here because of the smoke. Now it’s so much better--our employees are happier and our customers are happier. It’s been really good for our business.”
Kristi Tanner, a waitress at Windbreak Café & Lounge since 2001. Windbreak has been smokefree since 2005.
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