CONTACT: Stephanie Marquis, Communications Director 608-266-1683

WHY IS THE LEGISLATURE PLAYING WITH OUR HEALTH WHEN THE SCIENCE IS SO OBVIOUS?

MADISON - Each year, smoking takes the lives of thousands of Wisconsinites and costs our healthcare system hundreds of millions of dollars. Our Governor and legions of supporters were trying to do something about it, but the legislature failed to act.

We have a patchwork of smoke free regulations in local municipalities across the state, but we need to protect all our citizens and level the playing field for our business owners. Senate Bill 150 would have provided the consistency we need and would have brought Wisconsin into the 21st century by making our state smoke free.

Instead, the legislature failed to act.

There is absolutely no question that tobacco smoke is dangerous both for smokers and for nonsmokers who inhale the fumes as bystanders. The blunt words of the most recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General are worth repeating:

“The debate is over. The science is clear: secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults.  There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure, with even brief exposure adversely affecting the cardiovascular and respiratory system.”

Everyone has the right to breathe clean, smoke-free air.  There is no “right” to make others sick.

Smoke free laws protect the health of everyone:  they help current smokers win the battle with tobacco addiction, discourage kids from ever starting, and protect non-smokers from exposure. 

I could spend all day listing secondhand smoke statistics, but the most important fact is secondhand smoke carries a deadly human cost.

There’s little doubt that the trend toward smoking bans continues to gain strength. Nearly half the states in the nation, including our neighbors in Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa, have already acted to make their public places smoke free. 

Wisconsin shouldn’t be the ashtray of the Midwest.  We should have joined the rest of America – and the world – by supporting smoke-free legislation.  The legislature has put all of us at risk.

Secretary Kevin R. Hayden
Department of Health and Family Services

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Last Revised:  March 14, 2008