People ask, “Is Secondhand smoke really that risky?”

Dr. Otis Brawley, the chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society, answers the question that many people ask: “Is secondhand smoke really that risky?” In the CNNHealth expert doctor report, Dr. Brawley says, “Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer, heart and lung disease in non-smokers” (CNNHealth Expert Report). He explains that tobacco smoke is filled with chemicals such as benzene, nicotine, and carbon monoxide. Benzene is known to cause leukemia. He says that secondhand smoke is responsible for an estimated 5,000-10,000 lung cancer deaths and 40,000 heart disease deaths in the US each year. He also points out an analysis of 25 studies that showed that non-smokers who work in a smoke-environment were 20% more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers who worked in smoke free environments. That statistic should be enough to pass a smoking ban through legislation (CNNHealth Expert Report). Read the entire report

The Bills are still pending in the House and the Senate, but the co-chariman of the Texas Smoke Free coalition remains optimistic saying, “We are already six weeks ahead of schedule” on April 8, 2011 (Austin Business Journal).

A week ago Lance Armstrong of Livestrong was interview by Texas Tribute about Smoke Free in the Texas Legislature. They discuss the issues and arguments against the smoke free bills, which seem to be a slim category with little rational opposition to the bills.




-Jennifer Neel

Changing Nutrition Programs Can Save Money

As the 82^nd Texas Legislature progressed this session, legislation regarding nutritional standards and physical education requirements in the Texas Public Schools lost attention while other important issues, such as budget cuts and bullying, became the center of education debate. 
 

Obesity however affects over 30 percent of Texas children—meaning that school nutrition it is not an issue that the Texas legislature can overlook. According to the CDC, obese children are more likely to develop a wide array of health problems, including cardiovascular disease and sleep apnea. Obese children also run a higher risk of becoming obese adults, making them more likely to develop heart disease, type-2 diabetes, and even cancer. Watch this video to learn more about the dangers of America's childhood obesity epidemic. 

Because public schools provide an important source of food to many of Texas’ youth, legislators need to examine and create nutritional standards and programs in these schools to combat obesity. 

Attempts to alter nutrition plans in public schools however are opposed by some American citizens. The primary argument against more strictly regulating nutritional standards is that implementing these programs would be costly. This is a reasonable concern in a recession when many states, including Texas, are cutting education funding dramatically. However, developing stronger nutritional programs in public schools actually helps save money in several ways.

• Extensive studies by organizations, such as Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools, show that “poor nutrition and physical inactivity” cost schools money. As explained by HKHS, this is because unhealthy, obese students demand more attention from their schools. For example, these students often require more visits to school nurses and often have lower academic achievement, meaning that additional time and money is needed to combat their poor health and weak performance.
• Also, in Texas, where education budgeting is based on attendance, overweight children can greatly reduce funding for schools. Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools also explains obese children miss an average of one day of school each month. In larger school districts, this can add up to about $5.5 million of lost funding.
• Furthermore, the minimal short-term costs of implementing better nutrition programs to combat obesity will ultimately cost states less money than the long-term health care costs obese children will face. In their pamphlet, Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools shows that Texas estimates that by 2040 obesity-related medical issues will cost the state $39 billion. According to PBS, implementing the federal government's "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act" will only cost the government only $4.5 billion.  

These examples highlight ways in which implementing better nutritional plans in public schools can help save money.  Some Americans dismiss the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and other attempts to better school nutrition assuming that these programs will be funded in tax dollars—money that will ultimately come out of their pockets. However, upon further examining the programs, it is clear that bettering nutrition in schools will help America's children while saving money.

These links provide information on the progress of bills relating to school nutrition in the 82nd Texas Legislature:

• HB 127: relating to the types of beverages that may be sold to students on public school campuses; referred to Public Health.

• HB 280: relating to requiring a health credit for high school graduation; referred to Public Education.

• HB 281: relating to physical education credits required for high school graduation; referred to Public Education.

• HB 643: relating to summer nutrition programs in school districts; referred to Agriculture and Livestock committee.

• SB 185: relating to physical activity requirements for students in public schools; refereed to Education.

• SB 225: relating to including in public school campus improvement plans and in local school health advisory council reports to school district boards of trustees certain goals and objectives or information in order to promote improved student health; referred to Education.

Texas Cities are taking a stand on Smoke-Free Texas

Wednesday, April 13, Highland Villiage passed a Smoke-Free ordinance by a vote of 5-2. This is the second and final time for the council to vote on the ordinance. It will go into effect June 1, 2011. Smoking is now prohibited in any enclosed facilities or any facilities that are open to the general public. However, outdoor patios will still allow smoking.

The bills in the House and Senate are still pending in the legislature, that if passed will make Texas the 29th state to become smoke-free. Many national and state wide organizations are supporting the smoke-free Texas campaign. Those organizations include Livestrong, Cancer Support Community, Cheatham Street Music Foundation, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Children’s Hospital Association of Texas and many more associations and organizations. They have shown their support and put pressure on the legislature to pass Senate Bill 355 and House Bill 670. 

To find out more information visit Smoke Free Texas Coalition
Support the cause on Facebook, or follow Smoke Free Texas on Twitter and YouTube



-Jennifer Neel

Smoke-Free Workplace Bills Left Pending in the Legislature

The Texas House voted to pass Bill 670 (8-2) out of committee, which bans smoking in the workplace to protect people from secondhand smoke, on March 9, 2011. The Senate voted on March 8, 2011 to pass the Bill 355 (5-3) out of committee. However, the bills are still pending in the legislature.  Smoke-Free Texas Coalition reported that at least 45 members of the House have signed on as authors or co-authors of Bill 670. Both the Senate and House heard over 70 personal testimonies from individuals and organizations who support the bills. Many residents are getting involved and supporting the bills. On March 10, 2011, Bishop Joe S. Vasquex of the Diocese of Austin wrote an op-ed letter to the Statesman urging Texas state leaders to “act now to pass a comprehensive smoke-free workplace law.” He wrote a great, to-the-point message, “The need for a law is clear: Secondhand smoke exposure is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States.” You can read the entire article by clicking here.

Southern regional director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and co-chair of  the Smoke-Free Texas Coalition, Melinda Little, said, “The passage of House Bill 670 and Senate Bill 355 out of the respective committees this week contributes to the increasing momentum for a statewide smoke-free workplace law in Texas. We are excited about the rapid movement of the bills throughout the legislature thus far and look forward to the road ahead... A statewide smoke-free workplace law would improve the health and well-being of Texans across the state and would benefit the Texas economy by providing significant cost savings for businesses and taxpayers. All Texas employees deserve the right to breathe clean indoor air in the workplace.”

State Representatives are showing their support for a Smoke-Free Texas, here Myra Crownover explains why it is so important to pass this bill and gives her support for the cause.




See more YouTube videos of representatives supporting Smoke-Free Texas


Connect and read more about the Smoke-Free Texas Coalition
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-Jennifer Neel