Letter: Ky. needs to enact smoke-free law

Publication Date: 2013-11-20

• Author:Anna Jones
• Publication:Times Tribune of Corbin

As president of the Kentucky Society for Respiratory Care and a board member of the Kentucky Rural Health Association, I urge state lawmakers to enact a smoke-free law, which would greatly benefit the health of Kentuckians. Secondhand smoke is a proven cause of death and disease in nonsmokers. As such, many cities, states and countries have passed laws that require all workplaces and public places to be smoke-free. This movement continues because smoke-free laws are good for business, popular and they save lives...

About 34 percent of Kentuckians are covered by local smoke-free laws. I urge our legislators to support a comprehensive statewide law, which would extend protections to all Kentucky citizens, including those of us in the Tri-County. The majority of Kentuckians want to breathe clean air — and everyone should have that right!