Tobacco is a killer. That’s why the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and others are taking an active stance with the legislature on an important issue this year. We are asking lawmakers to fight back efforts to weaken our smoke-free indoor air law.
The people of North Dakota overwhelmingly voted to pass the legislation in 2012. It wasn’t even close. Every county in the state voted in favor. A proposal to change the smoke-free law to allow cigar smoking in some workplaces is a huge step backwards.
Smoking doesn’t only affect those people who smoke. It affects the people around them including employees who do not have the option to leave. Every year, exposure to secondhand smoke causes more than 42,000 deaths in the United States, including over 7,000 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers. We vehemently oppose this proposal.
The 2021 legislature has a chance to protect our health. Please contact your lawmakers and tell them to vote against any proposal that does not protect everyone’s right to breathe clean, smoke-free air. Let’s move in the right direction in North Dakota’s fight against cancer.
Daphne Hall, Baldwin
Volunteer, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
