WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 22, 2014 – The following statement comes from Chris Hansen, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, in reaction to the news that Reynolds American Inc., the maker of Camel cigarettes, will no longer permit smoking in its offices, conference rooms and elevators.
“We’re pleased that Reynolds employees will now be protected from the hazards of the company’s own cigarettes while at work, as are millions of workers in states across the country. But nearly 51 percent of the U.S. population is still exposed to deadly cigarette smoke every day in their workplaces, restaurants, and bars, increasing their chances of being diagnosed with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, there is no safe level of secondhand smoke. If Reynolds cared about the American public as much as it does its own workers, the company would support comprehensive smoke-free policies nationwide that protect people from its own products and those of other tobacco companies, including policies that prohibit special smoking areas that have proven to be ineffective in protecting non-tobacco users from tobacco smoke.”
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit https://www.fightcancer.org/.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lauren Walens or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5763 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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