TSET Board of Directors Approve Resolution in Support of Protecting Oklahomans from Secondhand Smoke
OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 17, 2014)
The Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust’s Board of Directors has passed a resolution in support of effective public policy to protect the public and prevent exposure to secondhand smoke inside workplaces and public places.
The resolution supports the passage of a comprehensive smokefree law for indoor workplaces and public places. The TSET Board of Directors approved the resolution during their November meeting.
The U.S. Surgeon General in 2006 concluded that “secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease.”
This was reaffirmed in the 50th anniversary Surgeon General’s report this year, which found that in addition to heart disease and lung cancer, exposure to secondhand smoke is also a cause of stroke.
Secondhand smoke contains more than 70 toxins and chemicals such as lead, benzene, arsenic and carbon monoxide. There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Oklahoma’s state smoking laws still fail to protect many Oklahomans from regular exposure to secondhand smoke inside workplaces.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers reaffirmed in 2010 that ventilated smoking rooms do not protect workers from the hazards of secondhand smoke and the “only means of effectively eliminating health risks associated with indoor exposure is to ban smoking activity.”
The Oklahoma State Board of Health, the Oklahoma City-County Board of Health and the Tulsa City-County Board of Health have also affirmed their support for a comprehensive smokefree law.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Julie Bisbee, julieb@tset.ok.gov
Direct: 405-521-4992
Cell: 405-301-3693
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The Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET) serves as a partner and bridge builder for organizations working towards shaping a healthier future for all Oklahomans. TSET provides leadership at the intersections of health by working with local coalitions and initiatives across the state, by cultivating innovative and life-changing research, and by working across public and private sectors to develop, support, implement and evaluate creative strategies to take advantage of emerging opportunities to improve the public’s health. TSET. Better Lives Through Better Health. To learn more go to tset.ok.gov.