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Every Worker Deserves Smokefree Air
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• Cigarette smoking is the chief single avoidable
  cause of death in our society and the most
  important public health issue of our time.

C. Everett Koop, M.D. U.S. Surgeon General
1981-1989
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What is Secondhand Smoke?

• Secondhand Smoke has Two Sources. . .
• Smoke from a burning cigarette, also known as
  sidestream smoke
• Smoke exhaled from a persons mouth
• And Several Names
• Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS)
• Passive Smoking
• Involuntary Smoking

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Secondhand Smoke

• Kills 38,000 people in the United States each
  year
• -National Cancer Institute
• Increases risk of heart attack after just 30
  minutes of exposure
• -Journal of American Medical Association, 2001

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Secondhand Smoke

• Contains 4,000 chemicals and at least 60
  carcinogens
• -Environmental Protection Agency, 1989
• The 2000 Environmental Health Information
  Services 9th Annual Report on Carcinogens
  classified secondhand smoke as a Group A
  Carcinogen a substance known to cause cancer in
  humans. There is no safe level of exposure to
  Group A toxins.

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Secondhand Smoke Legal Liability

• Workplace smoking increases an employers
  potential legal liability
• Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
• (Employers cannot discriminate against
  individuals with disabilities. Those who have a
  hypersensitivity to tobacco smoke are included.)

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Smokefree Air is Great for Workers, Great for
Business

• Clean Indoor Air Policies
• Prompt more smokers to try to quit
• Increase the number of successful quit attempts
• Reduce the number of cigarettes that continuing
  smokers consume

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Smokefree Air is Great for Workers, Great for
Business

• A March 2004 report issued by the New York City
  Department of Finance noted the following one
  year after a 100 smokefree workplaces ordinance,
  including bars, was implemented
• business receipts increased
• employment rose
• compliance rates were high
• the number of new liquor licenses issued
  increased

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Smokefree Air is Great for Workers, Great for
Business

• In California, both taxable sales receipts and
  total employment for bars have increased every
  year since 1997, which was the year prior to the
  implementation of their 100 smokefree law.
• (California State Board of Equalization
  State of California Employment Development
  Department)
• A study released by the CDC found that a
  comprehensive smokefree policy in El Paso, Texas
  did not affect restaurant and bar revenue after
  it took effect in January 2002.

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Is Anchorage Ready?

• A recent Hellenthal Survey found that Anchorage
  residents are aware of the dangers of secondhand
  smoke and supportive of the Assembly making
  Anchorage workplaces 100 smokefree.

Source Hellenthal Associates Survey results
from April 1 April 9, 2005 Sample 407 (margin
4.86 /-)
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Is Anchorage Ready?
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Is Anchorage Ready?
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The Effect On Anchorage
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Strengthening the Ordinance

• Currently the Smokefree Ordinance exempts bars,
  bingo halls, pull tabs, and businesses with 4 or
  fewer employees. There are still many workers in
  Anchorage spending their 8-hour shifts in rooms
  filled with secondhand smoke.
• In 2005, many public health organizations,
  physicians, community organizations, businesses,
  and concerned citizens have collaborated to gain
  support for making Anchorage workplaces 100
  smokefree with no exemptions.

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What Can You Do?

• Individually?
• Sign-up to support smokefree air
• Contact your Assembly Member through phone calls,
  e-mails, letters
• Testify before the Assembly
• Group/Organization?
• Pass a resolution/letter of support
• Endorse our campaign to make all workplaces
  smokefree

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COALITION PARTNERS

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QUESTIONS REGARDING SMOKEFREE AIR?
CONTACT BRANDY PETERSON SMOKEFREE ANCHORAGE
COALITION COORDINATOR 907-644-6411 bpeterson_at_aklun
g.org