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Letter From the Executive Director
Happy Spring! I hope you are all having a great year so far. 2010 is proving to be an exciting and challenging
year for CHART. As always, we will be counting on the support of people like you to improve the quality of life
for all Tennesseans by reducing the incidence of disease, suffering, disability and death caused by tobacco use. |
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Shelley Courington,
Executive Director of CHART
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It seems that health care reform legislation and costs are on everyone's minds. There is one guaranteed way to reduce health care costs, and that is to stop the harmful effects of tobacco use. That is why CHART's mission is more relevant today than ever.
Our new board, which includes returning and first-time members, has identified several priorities as part of our mission for this year.
- Reducing secondhand smoke.
With the passage of the Non-smokers Protection Act in 2007, CHART scored a victory in the fight to protect workers from the harmful effects of tobacco. CHART will fight to protect restrictions outlined by this law, and work to remove exemptions that were included in it. Everyone deserves a safe working environment. CHART's aim is to make all workplaces smoke-free.
- Allowing communities to prohibit smoking in playgrounds and other areas that children frequent.
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death, and there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. It is our goal to give communities the right to prohibit smoking in their own parks and playgrounds.
- Increasing funds for cessation and prevention programs.
Smoking rates are higher in Tennessee than the nation's average; 23.1 percent of Tennessee's adult population smoke, compared to 19.8 percent nationally. Cessation and prevention programs are proven to work, and the state should designate money to these.
- Increasing taxes on tobacco products.
Increasing tobacco taxes is a benefit to the state and the community. This is a proven method to reduce smoking and save lives. It also increases revenues and reduces health care costs.
Please visit our new Web site
regularly for updates, and join our supporters list. Together, we can protect Tennesseans
from the harmful effects of tobacco.
Shelley Courington, Executive Director of CHART
Legislative Update
Several bills that would strengthen or weaken Tennessee's Non-Smoker Protection Act have been in play during the 2010 session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The House Agriculture Committee has once again been the battleground for these proposed changes to the law, and as of early April none of the bills have been approved by the Agriculture Committee. The following two bills were assigned to the Agriculture Committee's subcommittee:
- HB 3748 sponsored by Rep. Janis Sontany, D-Nashville, would prohibit smoking within 50 fee of any entrance to any building that provides library services to children. The Senate companion bill, SB 3719 sponsored by Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Nashville, has been assigned to the Senate Commerce Committee. This bill was introduced at the request of Metro Nashville to address the gathering of smokers at the downtown library.
- HB 0163, sponsored by Rep. Terry Lynn Weaver, R-Lancaster, was originally filed to clarify that the word ?person? does not include employees, vendors or service providers. Rep. Weaver attempted to amend the bill in the House Agriculture Subcommittee to ban smoking within 50 feet of the entrance of a hospitals. The bill failed in Subcommittee for lack of a motion.
The following bill was taken off notice in the House Agriculture Committee before being considered by the Committee:
- HB 3570 sponsored by Rep. Donna Rowland, R-Murfreesboro, would create a Class C misdemeanor if an owner or employee of an age-restricted venue allows access to its facilities to a person younger than 21 years of age. The Senate companion bill, SB 3564 sponsored by Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
CHART's legislative representatives will continue to monitor these bills and others that could be used to amend the Non-Smokers Protection Act. Please call or e-mail CHART's lobbyist, Robert Gowan at (615) 259-5509 or gowan@sostrategy.com if you have any questions about any of these or other legislative issues.
CHART Events
Statewide Series Meetings
CHART kicked off November with a statewide series of meetings in Nashville, Knoxville and Jackson. More than 140 CHART board members, volunteers and smoke-free advocates joined together to discuss strategy for the 2010 legislative session and learn effective ways to decrease smoking in a key demographic – minority and low-income groups. La Tanisha Wright with the National African-American Tobacco Prevention Network and Lisa Houston with the Break Free Alliance headlined the daylong seminars in each city.
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La Tanisha Wright speaks to participants in Knoxville. |
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CHART board member Chastity Mitchell shares updates on the advocacy groups' efforts. |
CHART in the News
Shelley Courington has been busy over the last few months speaking to media outlets about CHART’s goals for the 2010 legislative session.
December media coverage kicked off with a Tennessean article discussing smoking bans in workplaces. Several restaurant owners, including Randy Rayburn and Jackie Daniel, were quoted in support of the bans.
In mid-December, the coverage continued with another Tennessean article revealing findings from a recent national report, which places Tennessee dead last in funding for anti-smoking efforts. The article points to the importance of smoking bans and tobacco taxes in cutting smoking rates in today’s economic climate, where funding for cessation and prevention programs is unavailable.
For a recent Tennessean editorial page on smoking, Shelley contributed a column on why Tennessee should eliminate exemptions for over-21 venues in the Non-smokers Protection Act.
In late December, Channel 5 in Nashville aired a story on the same topic, featuring an interview with Shelley.
From the American Lung Association
President Obama Signs Legislation to Restrict Internet Sales of Tobacco Products
On March 31, President Obama signed legislation into law that will severely restrict illegal sales of cigarettes and tobacco products over the Internet. The legislation had been overwhelmingly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate earlier in March. The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act will require payment of all applicable tobacco taxes before delivery of non face-to-face sales, mandate that the age of the purchaser be checked at purchase and delivery of such sales and completely prohibit the delivery of tobacco products through the U.S. mail among other provisions. Most parts of the law take effect in 90 days.
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