Ads to focus on benefits of going smoke-free

To the editor:

On behalf of Breathe Free Mat-Su, I would like to thank the Mat-Su Health Foundation for the generous grant it awarded our coalition. This grant will pay for advertising to raise awareness about the dangers of secondhand smoke and build community support for smoke-free policies in indoor workplaces and public places.

The need for protection from secondhand smoke has never been clearer. A U.S. Surgeon General June 2006 report found indisputable evidence that secondhand smoke isn’t just irritating, it kills. An estimated 50,000 Americans die each year from heart attacks, lung cancer and other diseases caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. The report also found that comprehensive smoke-free workplace policies are the only effective way to protect nonsmoking employees and the public from secondhand smoke.

The ads paid for with our Mat-Su Health Foundation grant will feature prominent local business owners touting the health and economic benefits of going smoke-free. Their firsthand accounts will help business and community leaders in the Mat-Su Valley and across Alaska see that smoke-free policies are good for health and great for business.

Becky Stoppa,

facilitator

Breathe Free Mat-Su