New beginning for Caboose

To the editor:

Have you heard the news? The Caboose Lounge is going smoke-free! It will close Oct. 24 to replace the carpet and fabric chairs, and to scrub all the hard surfaces, and will re-open Oct. 28, smoke-free and good as new.

Kudos to owners Michelle Kincaid and Dave Kloep for valuing the health of their employees and patrons enough to make this change! Secondhand smoke is a leading cause of preventable death. Nationwide, it accounts for an estimated 50,000 deaths annually. As many as 120 people die from secondhand smoke-related causes each year in Alaska.

That’s more than the number of people killed annually in motor vehicle accidents and about three times the number of deaths caused by homicide.

Thanks to its new smoke-free policy, people who work at Caboose will not have to choose between their health and a paycheck, and people looking for a nice place in Palmer to enjoy a drink won’t have to forfeit their heart and lung health when they walk through the door.

Now that’s Alaska at its best!

Becky Stoppa, member

Breathe Free Mat-Su