Clear the Air

Tobacco-Free Day at the Legislature - January 19th
Annual Tobacco Control Advocacy Conference - January 19th - 20th

Education and action for citizens, activists and health professionals.

Presented by:
Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia and the
West Virginia Department of Health & Human Resources, Department of Health, Division of Tobacco Prevention

Join citizens and activists from throughout West Virginia to plan, work and advocate for strong tobacco control policies.

Register online here: http://www.ctfwv.com/ctfwv_004.htm

On Friday, February 20th at 9:00 the House Judiciary Committee will take up consideration of H.B.2360 - Insuring that tobacco products are not sold in any packaging other than the original.

The purpose of this bill is to insure that tobacco products are not sold in any packaging other than the original factory wrapped package and to insure that cigarettes are not sold individually.

Delegates Patti Eagloski Schoen & Don Perdue

This legislation was introduced by Delegate Schoen and Delegate Perdue and would prohibit the sale of tobacco products in any form other than an original factory wrapped package; require that cigarette packages shall not contain fewer than twenty cigarettes, and; prohibit any person or business entity from selling single cigarettes (”loosies’) or packages of cigarettes that do not display the federally mandated health warnings.

Any person or business found guilty of any of these provision would be charged with a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined $250.

Some of these provisions had been contained in the original Master Settlement Agreement but have since expired.

The Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia has endorsed this legislation and is urging its passage.

Tags: tobacco control, West Virginia Legislature, youth access

15th Annual Tobacco-Free Day at the Capitol
Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the Coalition for a Tobacco-Free West Virginia

Join tobacco control and prevention advocates from throughout West Virginia at the State Capitol on March 31st to help educate our policymakers and advocate for healthy, tobacco-free communities.

West Virginia has the third highest smoking rate in the nation and leads the nation in smokeless tobacco use and smoking among pregnant women. Yet our tobacco excise tax rate ranks 42nd in the country and the state tobacco control programming receives only a fraction of the funding recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The toll of tobacco in West Virginia is a public health crisis that must be addressed by our elected officials. However, this will only happen if they know it is a concern of voters - like you!

West Virginia Tobacco-Free Day will feature exhibits and displays from various organizations and community groups from all over the state who are working to fight back against tobacco’s grip on our people, economy and health care system. There will also be plenty of time to visit your legislators and see first hand your government at work.

Joining us will be about 450 young people from across the state who are active in the RAZE program working to protect their generation from tobacco addiction.

For more information or to register for the event contact Cinny Kittle. Pre-registered participants will be invited to join in a conference call the day before the event for a briefing on the status of key tobacco and health issues.

Please show your support for a healthier West Virginia by joining us for all, or part of, Tobacco-Free Day on March 31st.

Tags: advocacy, RAZE, Tobacco-Free Day, West Virginia Legislature