Advocacy Project: Letter and Fact Sheet

Ron Kind
131 S. Barstow St. Suite 301
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715)831-9214

I am writing you to ask that you vote YES on H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act.

I feel that you should vote in this manor because smoking is a prevalent issue of health in the United States, and secondhand smoke is a contributing factor. Many Americans are being affected by smoking and secondhand smoke, increasing their risk of disability, illness and death. Smoking has direct links to cancer, heart disease, and death, all while filling the air with powerful toxins that negatively effect those around them. Voting yes on this bill will help insure that American’s working in government settings will not be exposed to these harmful effects. It will also insure that these workers will not be bringing home such toxic chemicals into their homes and sharing them with their families. I believe that for those of us who have chosen the health decision to not smoke should not be subjected to toxic chemicals from those who have made poorer choices regarding their health.

I know that there are some out there who would rather see you vote no. These people are either smokers themselves that want to continue this action or people who support the tobacco industry. To them I say, if it is your decision to smoke that is your prerogative however your “right” should end where my health begins. My health should not be negatively affected by the choices of others.

Below is a fact sheet that I encourage you to read. I feel that if I have not outlined already why we should protect our American task force, perhaps these can aid my reasoning. Again, please VOTE YES on H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act.

1 in every 5 deaths in the United States is due to smoking, making it the biggest killer of preventable deaths.

Cigarette smoke contains many harmful and toxic chemicals including tar, carbon monoxide, acetaledehyde, and nitrosamines.

There are around 4,000 chemicals found in secondhand smoke. 200 have been found to be poisonous and 60 are known carcinogens.

Each year, around 3,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to environmental tobacco smoke.

Not only does smoking cost thousands of people their lives each and every year, it has been estimated that tobacco use "accounts for over a $100 billion dollars annually in financial costs to the economy".

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