November 02, 2007 |
Contact: Amber McDowell - (202) 296-5469 |
Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund Launches Campaign in Support of Councilman-At-Large John Lanie and Councilman Russ Evans for Greencastle City Council
Indianapolis, IN - The Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund launched an independent, direct voter contact campaign today in several Indiana communities supporting local elected officials who have championed smoke-free workplace laws. In Greencastle, Councilman-At-Large John Lanie and Councilman Russ Evans (4th Ward) are being endorsed for their leadership in passing Greencastle’s smoke-free ordinance. Greencastle’s smoke-free law covers most public places and workplaces, including restaurants and bars, and protects workers and families from the serious health harms of secondhand smoke.
“We’re running this campaign in Indiana to support our champions who continue to fight for everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air,” said William V. Corr, Executive Director of the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund. “Through the Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund, we are working to ensure future generations have a healthier Indiana. For Greencastle voters who care about protecting the health of our kids, families and workers, there is a clear choice: re-elect John Lanie for Councilman-At-Large and Councilman Russ Evans for City Council.”
Leaders of the Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund include former state Secretary of Commerce Mickey Maurer and Indianapolis businessman Bruce Hetrick.
“Councilman-At-Large Lanie and Councilman Evans believe that every Greencastle resident has the right to breathe smoke-free air and have been leaders in the fight to protect the community from the devastating toll of tobacco,” said Mickey Maurer. “They delivered critical health protection for kids and families. Lanie and Evans are the kinds of leaders we need.”
“The Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund is committed to fighting Big Tobacco and paving the way for a smoke-free Indiana – and we’re excited to have champions like Lanie and Evans leading the fight in Greencastle,” said Bruce Hetrick. “Lanie and Evans care about the health of Indiana’s workers and families. They’re the right choice for Greencastle.”
This past year, Indiana was second in the country in the number of new local smoke-free laws, enacting 15 in 2006. In total, 25 such laws have been enacted around the state, including eight municipal laws that make all restaurants and bars smoke-free.
The need for protection from secondhand smoke has never been clearer. In issuing his 2006 groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated, “The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults.” The Surgeon General re-affirmed that secondhand smoke is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, and serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma. The Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States each year, there is no risk-free level of exposure, and only smoke-free laws provide effective protection from secondhand smoke.
A sample of the direct mail can be found at:
http://www.tobaccofreeaction.org/adwatch/Indiana_Greencastle.pdf
The Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund is a project of the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, an independent, non-partisan 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization. The Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund works to reduce the devastating toll of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke by mounting education, advocacy and electoral campaigns to support anti-tobacco policies. The Action Fund is dedicated to educating voters about positions on tobacco-related issues taken by candidates seeking public office at the state, local and federal level and to advocating for proven solutions to reduce tobacco use and its terrible toll in health, lives and money. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeaction.org