Smokefree AirWhat is Smokefree Air Mississippi?

The Smokefree Air Mississippi initiative is an effort led by the Mississippi State Department of Health to educate and inform Mississippians about the very real dangers of exposure to secondhand smoke. The initiative is implemented through grassroots partners and a statewide media campaign.

The goal of the initiative is to improve the health of all Mississippians by educating and advocating for a smokefree environment in all public places.

Smokefree Air

There is no safe level ofexposure to

secondhand smoke.The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon

General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Smokefree Air

The toll of secondhand smoke• 550 deaths annually among Mississippi non-smokers• Is more harmful to children than adults• Unnecessary danger for workers• Has immediate adverse effects on the cardiovascular system • Causes heart disease and lung cancer

Our WorkplacesBreathing secondhand smoke is not an option• Some workplaces expose workers to smoke-filled air for prolonged periods of time• Separating smokers from non-smokers does not work. . . there

is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke• Fans & high-tech ventilation do not work (OSHA, ASHRAE)

Smokefree AirOnly by eliminating smoking in indoor spaces can non-smokers be protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.

Our Children

Problems even before birth• Babies whose mothers smoke while pregnant and babies who

are exposed to secondhand smoke after birth are more likely to

die from SIDS• Mothers exposed to secondhand smoke while pregnant are

more likely to have lower birthweight babies

Our Children

Growing bodies need smokefree air• Because their bodies are developing rapidly, infants and

young children are more vulnerable to the poisons in secondhand smoke

• Children take in more secondhand smoke because they breathe more rapidly than adults

Our Children

Growing bodies need smokefree air• Secondhand smoke causes respiratory infections such as

bronchitis and pneumonia in infants and young children• Exposure to secondhand smoke causes children with asthma

to experience more frequent and severe attacks• Children exposed to secondhand smoke are at increased risk

for ear infections

Our EconomyLost Lives & Wasted Taxpayer Dollars• Treatment of tobacco-related diseases costs Mississippi

$264 million each year in direct Medicaid costs• The state pays $1.04 in direct Medicaid costs for every pack of

cigarettes purchased in Mississippi• Smoking is estimated to cost Mississippi businesses $1.4

billion per year in lost productivity

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Smokefree Air

Widespread Support

• 80% of Mississippians do not smoke • 76% of all Mississippians believe that worksites should be smokefree• 81% of all Mississippians believe restaurants should be smokefree• 57% of Mississippi smokers believe restaurants should be smokefree

2009 Mississippi Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control

Smokefree Air

Statewide Media Campaign

• Television• Radio• Newsprint• Internet• Mobile App• Social Media• Sports Marketing

Smokefree AirStatewide Media Campaign

Sports Marketing • Southern Miss vs Kansas – 9/17

• Delta State vs Henderson State – 9/25• Miss State vs Georgia – 9/25• Southern Miss vs East Carolina – 10/9• Alcorn vs Arkansas-Pine Bluff – 10/21• MS Valley State vs Grambling – 10/23• Ole Miss vs Auburn – 10/30• Miss State vs Arkansas – 11/20• Jackson State vs Alcorn – 11/20• Ole Miss vs Miss State – 11/27

Smokefree AirGrassroots Activities: Policy Development

• Engaging Municipal Leadership

• Promoting Mini-Grants for Ordinance Development

• Sharing Data on the Health and Economic Benefits of

Local Comprehensive Smokefree Air Ordinances

Smokefree Air

• Increase interaction with city, county and state officials• Engage local media with consistent secondhand smoke messaging• Educate community leaders, business owners and citizens on the benefits of smokefree air • Encourage support of the Smokefree Air Mississippi Initiative

Grassroots Activities“Clearing the Air” Community Forums

Smokefree Air

• Cleveland – 10/26• Hattiesburg – 10/27• Coast – 10/28• Natchez – 11/3 • Starkville – 11/4• Meridian – 11/9• Oxford – 11/10• Hernando – 11/16• Jackson – 11/18

Grassroots Activities“Clearing the Air” Community Forums

Smokefree AirGrassroots Partners

You Deserve Better

Take Action NowContact Smokefree Air Mississippi

SmokefreeAirMS.com/coalitions.php1-866-724-6115

Smokefree Air Mississippi is a program led by the Mississippi State Department of Health