<7/10/07>
For Immediate Release: Contact Lee Rutledge-Falcione, (724) 222-6511, Ext. 16

Local Organization Working to Make Clean Indoor Air a Reality in Pennsylvania
3,000 Pennsylvanians die annually from secondhand smoke

The Tobacco Free Program of Washington County Health Partners (WCHP) is rallying local support of citizens who want to make Pennsylvania businesses and public areas free of deadly secondhand smoke.

The program is also working to educate residents on the significant health benefits of a comprehensive clean indoor air bill and encouraging everyone to show their support by submitting letters to their elected state legislators at www.NoSmokeIndoors.com.

Clean indoor air legislation, which would prohibit smoking in all workplaces – including restaurants and bars – is intended to protect workers and the general public from the proven dangers of exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke.

3,000 Pennsylvanians die each year as a result of health conditions brought on by breathing in someone else’s tobacco smoke. Compared to workers in other fields, waitresses are nearly four times more likely to die of lung cancer during an eight-hour shift. Bartenders “smoke” the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes without ever lighting up.

In June 2006, the Surgeon General released a report on the dire health consequences of exposure to secondhand smoke, stating that exposure to secondhand smoke is a serious public health hazard that can be prevented by making public places completely smoke free. Tests have also shown that secondhand smoke is particularly dangerous to children.

Smoke-free environments are not just topics of discussion in Pennsylvania. Twenty states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have already enacted statewide clean air acts.

For more information, contact the Tobacco Free Program of WCHP at 1-866-904-3733, ext. 12.

Tobacco Free Program
The Tobacco Free Program is an initiative of Washington County Health Partners. The Tobacco Free Program’s goals are to reduce adult and youth tobacco use and to eliminate it as a social norm.  For more information, contact the Tobacco Free Program at 1-866-904-FREE (3733) or info@tobaccofreewashington.org.

Washington County Health Partners, Inc.
Incorporated in 2000, WCHP is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement of the health and well-being of Washington County residents.

WCHP performs periodic community health assessments to identify county health issues. These issues are addressed through WCHP’s volunteer-led, collaborative task forces comprised of local organizations and community volunteers who combine their expertise and resources. Current issues include: access to health insurance, community wellness, minority health, nutrition, respiratory health, teen wellness, and tobacco free initiatives.

Funding is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

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