Statement of Tobacco-Free Kids Regarding Smoke-Free Environment And No Tobacco For Kids Acts

Washington, DC - The CAMPAIGN FOR TOBACCO-FREE KIDS commends United States Senators Lautenberg and Durbin and Representatives Waxman, Hansen and Meehan for their continuing efforts to protect kids from tobacco. It is essential that more be done to protect non-smokers from environmental tobacco smoke and to hold the tobacco industry accountable for the number of children who smoke and use smokeless tobacco. The bills introduced today will further both causes. The 'Smoke-Free Environment Act of 1997' would protect Americans from deadly secondhand smoke. The bill would ban smoking in government and private nonresidential buildings or restrict smoking to separately ventilated rooms. The legislation would also ban smoking on all domestic and international airline flights originating in the United States. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke and the legislation introduced today will help protect the health of all Americans. The 'NO Tobacco For Kids Act' would hold the tobacco industry responsible for reducing tobacco use among our nation’s children. The bill would require the tobacco industry to reduce youth tobacco use by 90 percent over a six-year period and includes strong financial penalties if the industry fails to meet this standard. Holding the industry accountable for reducing tobacco use by kids and protecting Americans from secondhand smoke are essential components to any comprehensive approach to reducing the toll of tobacco. We applaud these Members of Congress for their continued commitment to protecting the public’s health and for standing up for America’s kids.