Community
Key Information
Are you concerned about secondhand smoke in workplaces, including restaurants and bars?
Secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) comes from other people's cigarettes, cigars and pipes. We need to give everyone the opportunity to live and work in a smoke-free environment. You can help do this by fighting to make your city/town smoke-free.
• Secondhand smoke is a mixture of the exhaled smoke from smokers, plus the smoke from the lit end of the tobacco product. • The same harmful cancer-causing ingredients that are found in the smoke inhaled by smokers are also in secondhand smoke. • Secondhand smoke has been linked to many health problems. It can contribute to heart disease, many forms of cancer, asthma and respiratory illness. • Children exposed to secondhand smoke have more illnesses, such as asthma, problems with lung development and chronic ear infections. • Employees in bars, restaurants and other work places are exposed to secondhand smoke without consideration of its effects on their health. Make your voice heard:
Contact your Board of Health at 222-6471 if you want to support smoke-free environments in workplaces, including bars and restaurants.
Make your voice heard:
Contact the Board of Health at 222-6471 if you see someone smoking in a non-smoking area. The Board of Health creates and enforces policy in your neighborhoods. Let them know that tobacco regulations are important to you and ask them what you can do to help.
Make your voice heard:
Contact the Bismarck Tobacco Free Coalition at 222-6525 to get involved in their work locally.
Make your voice heard:
You can also contact the local restaurant or bar owner and let them know that you prefer smoke-free environments.
Make your voice heard:
Contact your local and/or state government representative to let them know your position about smoke free environments.
Make your voice heard:
Write an editorial to your local newspaper about your position on smoke-free environments.
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Are you concerned about tobacco in schools?
Do you see people smoking on school grounds or at school events, both indoors or outdoors? If you see people smoking and are concerned that this policy is not being enforced, contact the school's principal and talk with him or her about it.
Make your voice heard:
Contact your child's school.
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Are you concerned about the sale of tobacco to minors?
Everyday in the United States, more than 3000 young people become regular smokers. Many of these young people are illegally sold cigarettes even though they are under-age. They also get cigarettes from social sources-from friends, family members, and/or strangers who smoke.
Make your voice heard:
Contact your Board of Health if you see a store selling tobacco products to a minor. The board of health enforces policy in your neighborhoods.
Make your voice heard:
Talk with your family members and friends who smoke and encourage them not to provide cigarettes to minors. Though this may be difficult, just be honest about your concerns.
Make your voice heard:
Talk with store owners and employees. Tell them you are concerned about the use of tobacco products by young people and encourage them to check I.D.'s before they sell tobacco products.
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Are you concerned about advertising in stores and magazines?
Tobacco companies spend a lot of money trying to make you buy their product. They want you to recognize their brand name and choose their product when making a purchase.
Many magazines that are widely read by youth carry many full-page ads on tobacco in each issue. Another example is Philip Morris' Virginia Slims cigarette ad campaign "Find your Voice," which has pictures of beautiful women with an emphasis on women of color. The campaign presents smoking as a way to "find your voice," when in reality, women and girls can literally lose their voices and their lives to smoking-related illnesses.
Make your voice heard:
Write a letter to the editor of the magazine or contact the store carrying advertisements.
Make your voice heard:
Contact your community leaders or your legislator/representative to let them know what issues are important to you.
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