Leading Health Groups Applaud Continued Efforts to Protect Public Health by Ending So-Called 'Theatrical Production...( MINNEAPOLIS March 14 /- As the st...),Health

MINNEAPOLIS, March 14 /PRNewswire/ -- As the state's leading health groups working to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco in Minnesota, we applaud continued efforts to enforce the Freedom to Breathe Act by ending so-called "theatrical productions" in bars.

"Yesterday's actions by the City of Maplewood are a positive step toward preserving the integrity of the smoke-free law and we congratulate their efforts to protect health," said Pat McKone, Director of Tobacco Control Programs and Policy for the American Lung Association of Minnesota.

In a statement issued last week, The Minnesota Department of Health clearly stated that so-called "theatrical productions" in bars are a violation of the Freedom to Breathe Act. "We are encouraged that bar owners are putting an end to these theatrical stunts and will no longer be placing the health of their patrons and employees at risk," said David Arons, the American Cancer Society's Director of Government Relations.

A recent survey by ClearWay Minnesota found that 76 percent of Minnesotans support the smoke-free law. "This issue was thoroughly debated last year and the Legislature, the Governor and the public all decided in favor of public health," said David Willoughby, Chief Executive Officer of ClearWay Minnesota.

ClearWay Minnesota(SM) is an independent, non-profit organization that improves the health of Minnesotans by reducing the harm caused by tobacco. ClearWay Minnesota serves Minnesota through its grant-making program, through QUITPLAN(R) Services and through statewide outreach activities. It is funded with 3 percent of the state's 1998 tobacco settlement.

For more information on QUITPLAN Services, call 952-767-1400 or visit http://www.clearwaymn.org.

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through r
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