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<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">For Immediate Release <BR>Contact: Shauneen
Grange, <BR>Smokefree Idaho, Campaign Coordinator, Coalition for a Healthy
Idaho <BR>208-869-3340 / shauneen@smokefreeidaho.org <BR> </P>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Institute of
Medicine Confirms Growing Concerns </SPAN><BR style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Regarding the Dangers of Secondhand Smoke
</SPAN></DIV>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">Yet another in a growing list of scientifically
based studies shows that comprehensive smokefree laws that cover all workers
save lives. These latest findings suggest that tens of thousands of heart
attacks could be prevented each year, and that states and communities that do
not have comprehensive <BR>smoke–free laws could have significant cardiovascular
health benefits by doing so. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR>“Smokefree Idaho believes that the most
important thing that local government officials can do to protect the most
vulnerable workers in our cities is to pass local ordinances that cover all
employees from the dangers that secondhand smoke. Two hundred and twenty
people die in Idaho each year <BR>due to the impact of second hand smoke.
Smokefree laws save lives," said Shauneen Grange, Smokefree Idaho Campaign
Coordinator. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR>The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report,
“Secondhand–Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects: Making Sense of the
Evidence,” confirms that secondhand smoke could cause heart attacks and that
smokefree laws prevent heart attacks and save lives. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR>The report confirms that eliminating smoking in
workplaces, restaurants, bars, and other public places is an effective way to
protect Americans from the health effects of secondhand smoke, particularly on
the cardiovascular system. The IOM also concluded that the evidence is
compelling that even brief <BR>secondhand smoke exposure could trigger a heart
attack. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR>Heart disease is the leading cause of death in
the United States. Nearly three of four U.S. adults have at least one major risk
factor for heart disease. Yet, only 40 percent of Americans live in areas with
comprehensive state or local laws that ban smoking in public places. These
findings suggest that tens <BR>of thousands of heart attacks could be prevented
each year, and that states and communities that do not have comprehensive
smoke–free laws could have significant cardiovascular health benefits by doing
so. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR>There's no time to waste with this many lives at
stake. It is time to mount a full–scale assault on the tobacco epidemic and
eliminate all exposure to secondhand smoke. Smoke–free laws are one of the most
readily available and cost–effective methods for preventing heart attacks, heart
disease–related <BR>illnesses and deaths, and reducing health care costs. The
only way to protect nonsmokers from the dangerous chemicals in secondhand smoke
is to protect workers and the public through comprehensive smoke–free
laws. </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"> </P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">For information on quitting, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/index.htm. For the latest resources and
information on protecting yourself from secondhand smoke, visit
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/secondhand_smoke/index.htm. To view
the full IOM report, visit http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12649.</P>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"> </P>
<DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">####</DIV>
<P style="TEXT-ALIGN: left">About Smokefree Idaho: Smokefree Idaho is a
grassroots movement of individuals and organizations who support making all
indoor public and work places 100% smokefree -- including bars -- in order to
protect all workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. For more information
visit www.smokefreeidaho.org </P></SPAN><!----><BR><BR>
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