| For Immediate Release November 02, 2005 |
Contact: Jennifer Friedman 202.296.5469 |
Candidates for Virginia House of Delegates Endorsed for Commitment to Protecting Kids From Tobacco
Washington, DC - The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund today announced its endorsement of 13 candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates who are dedicated to protecting kids from tobacco and reducing its devastating toll in Virginia. These candidates support policies that will make a real difference for Virginia by helping to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing smoking-caused health care costs.
"We are pleased to endorse candidates for the Virginia House of Delegates who are committed to policies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke," said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund. "Virginians can rest assured that their health will be a priority under the leadership of the candidates we have endorsed."
The following candidates support some or all of the measures recommended by the CDC to reduce the health and economic toll of tobacco such as: passing comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws, increasing the tax on cigarettes and implementing effective programs to help smokers quit and prevent kids from starting in the first place.
- Bruce Roemmelt (D), District 13
- Vince Callahan (R), District 34
- Ken Plum (D), District 36
- Vivian Watts (D), District 39
- David Englin (D), District 45
- Al Eisenberg (D), District 47
- Harry Parrish (R), District 50
- Hilda Barg (D), District 52
- Peter deFur (D), District 56
- David Toscano (D), District 57
- Bill Barlow (D), District 64
- Tom Rust (R), District 86
- Paula Miller (D), District 87
Virginia has a long way to go in protecting its citizens from tobacco. Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in Virginia, claiming more than 9,200 lives each year and costing the state $1.92 billion annually in health care bills, including $369 million in Medicaid payments alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that smoking-caused health expenditures and productivity losses cost Virginia $6.17 for every pack of cigarettes sold in the state. Government expenditures related to tobacco amount to a hidden tax of $543 each year on every Virginia household. Some 21 percent of Virginia high school students are current smokers, and 18,800 more kids become regular smokers every year.
The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund is working to free America's youth from tobacco addiction and save lives by fighting Big Tobacco, mounting education and advocacy campaigns to support anti-tobacco policies, and educating voters about the tobacco-related positions of elected officials and candidates for elected office. The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund is a non-partisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. The Action Fund is affiliated with but separate from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit which does not endorse candidates or take any action to support or oppose any candidates for elected office.