Hillary Clinton: Clinton Announces Introduction of Bill to Raise Awareness About the Dangers of Secondhand Smoke

August 6, 2007 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) today announced that she has introduced the Secondhand Smoke Education and Outreach Act. The bill, co-sponsored by Senators Bernard Sanders (I-VT) and Patty Murray (D-WA), will increase public understanding of the harm that secondhand smoke can wreck on one’s health and will promote cessation efforts across our nation.

“The United States spends more on healthcare than any other industrialized nation and yet we struggle to provide adequate healthcare for all our citizens,” said Senator Clinton. “We cannot afford the myriad of health problems that we know result from tobacco use. Education about the dangers of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke is absolutely critical for combating the misleading messages that the tobacco industry propagates through savvy advertising campaigns. This bill is an important step in ensuring that our nation’s communities have the tools they need to keep themselves and their environments healthy.”

Last year, the Surgeon General issued the report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, which found that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The Surgeon General reported that nearly half of all nonsmoking Americans are still regularly exposed to secondhand smoke, which contains more than 50 carcinogens. Other studies have shown that exposure to secondhand smoke has both immediate and long-term adverse health consequences on the adult cardiovascular system. Exposure to secondhand smoke for 30 minutes can damage coronary arteries, while sustained exposure can increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 20 to 30 percent. Also, according to the National Cancer Institute, racial and ethnic minorities in the United States have higher rates of occupational exposure to secondhand smoke, with Latinos and Native Americans having the highest rates.

The Secondhand Smoke Education and Outreach Act would establish grants and demonstration projects, awarded by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for educating the public about the health consequences of secondhand smoke in multi-unit dwellings and in public spaces, such as public parks, playgrounds, and national parks. Special consideration would be given to awarding grants to organizations whose participation includes secondary school or college-age individuals, and to organizations that reach racial or ethnic populations that experience a disproportionate share of the cancer burden.

The bill also authorizes and funds grants for regional or local tobacco cessation education and counseling for healthcare workers and providers. Training programs would assist smokers in quitting through smoking cessation counseling, educate smokers and nonsmokers about the health consequences of secondhand smoke, and help promote self-sustaining networks for the delivery of affordable, accessible, and effective cessation services.

Senator Clinton has a strong record of leadership on promoting environmental health. Recently, a resolution sponsored by Senators Clinton and Hagel passed the Senate, urging the President to declare lung cancer a national public health priority, increase funding for lung cancer research, and appoint an advisory committee to coordinate efforts to cut lung cancer mortality rates in half by 2015. For several Congresses, she has helped lead an effort to secure passage of the Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act. Also, Senator Clinton joined with her colleagues to introduce legislation to remove lead from child care facilities and separate legislation to tighten lead safety standards in children’s toys and electronics.

Source: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

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