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MN GOES SMOKE-FREE!

Counting down to clean air: October 1, 2007!

Tired of breathing in secondhand smoke at restaurants, bowling allies and other public places? Well, it is your lucky day.  Minnesota recently passed the Freedom to Breathe Act, and on October 1, 2007, Minnesotans will be protected from secondhand smoke in workplaces, including bars and restaurants. Over the past ten years or so, support has been building for these policies across the state, around the country and around the world, and we are excited that Minnesota will be joining them!

California went completely smoke-free, including bars, in 1998. Currently 20 states (including Minnesota!), plus District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, have passed strong smoke-free laws that include restaurants and bars. Nine countries have done the same, with the United Kingdom implementing their policy this summer. Minneapolis went smoke-free in March of 2005, St. Paul in March of 2006, and Mankato in July 2006. Other cities and counties across the state have also gone smoke-free,  and the rest of the state will be joining them on October 1, 2007.  It's time to start counting down!

Passing the Freedom to Breathe Act was only half the battle.  Now it's time to help implement it, and make sure everyone loves it just as much as we do! Catalyst can educate communities about the dangers of secondhand smoke and the importance of smoke-free workplaces and public places. We can host creative events with positive themes like "Counting down to clean air!" or "We Love Smoke-free MN!" so that people understand how positive, healthy and exciting this news really is!

Check out these news stories about the Freedom to Breathe Act:
http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=254177
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/05/16/smokebansigned/
http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1188596.html

Some pics from when we attended the signing.

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mn minnesota smoke free