American Lung Association Applauds Speaker Pelosi's Smokefree Capitol Decision

Main Category: Lung Cancer
Also Included In: Smoking / Quit Smoking
Article Date: 12 Jan 2007 - 0:00 PDT

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The following is a statement by John Kirkwood, president and CEO of the American Lung Association, on Speaker Pelosi's Smokefree Capitol Decision:

The American Lung Association commends House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her decision to make the Speaker's Lobby of the U.S. Capitol smoke free. The decision to make the U.S. Capitol, the symbol of our nation's democracy, smokefree is both an important public health victory and a symbolic decision. By making the Speaker's Lobby smokefree, Speaker Pelosi has ended the days of smoke-filled rooms.

In November, the American Lung Association submitted a petition with over 7,000 signatures from citizens from throughout the country calling on congressional leaders to make our Capitol 100 percent smokefree. To date, almost 9,000 people have signed the petition. The U.S. Surgeon General released a report in June of 2006 that found there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke and that secondhand smoke causes premature death and disease in those who are exposed to it.

No one, including people who work on Capitol Hill, should have to breathe secondhand smoke as a condition of employment. Last year, the American Lung Association launched the Smokefree Air 2010 challenge calling on state and local governments to protect everyone from secondhand smoke no later than 2010. Sixteen states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have passed comprehensive smokefree air laws.

Last week, the District of Columbia's smokefree air law went into effect, making virtually every workplace in the city smokefree -- except those controlled by Congress. With her announcement today, Speaker Pelosi has ensured that Members of Congress, staff, pages, reporters and visitors to the Speaker's Lobby will no longer be exposed to the dangers of secondhand smoke in the Capitol. Her action demonstrates to the American people that Congress is playing by the same set of rules as everyone else.

The American Lung Association encourages Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and other congressional leaders to extend the smokefree rule to include all office buildings. Smoking is still allowed in private and committee offices, based on each Member's discretion, and in designated smoking rooms adjacent to two cafeterias.

Members of Congress and others interested in quitting smoking can contact the American Lung Association's Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNG-USA and speak with a registered nurse or respiratory therapist or visit http://www.lungusa.org.

American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org