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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-06-25 12-224 RESOLVECOUNCIL ACTION Item No. 12-224 Date: June 25, 2012 Item/Subject: Resolve, Promoting and Supporting a Tobacco Free Environment for All Citizens, Visitors, and Employees Responsible Department: Health and Community Services Commentary: This purpose of this resolve is to demonstrate City support to collaborate with the Public Health Advisory Board and other public health organizations to advocate for tobacco free policies and environments. Its primary of this resolve is to focus City support for the goal that all residents, visitors and employees should be able to breathe clean air and live, work and play in tobacco free environments. This resolve is a general statement expressing the City's support for a tobacco free environment and does not enact any specific limitations or bans through its adoption. Any such recommendations will be made in the future. This Resolve has been reviewed and unanimously approved by the Public Health Advisory Board; the City's Employee Wellness Committee and has the endorsement of the Department of Health and Community Services. This Resolve was reviewed and unanimously recommended for approval by the Government Operations Committee on June 12"'. Manager's Comments: Recommend Approval Department Head City Manager Associated Information: Budget Approval: Resolve, Informational Sheet Finance Director Legal Approval: Solicitor Introduced for X Passage First Reading Page _ of _ Referral Assigned to Blanchette CITY OF BANGOR 12-224 JUNE 25, 2012 (TITLE.) Resolve, Promoting and Supporting a Tobacco Free Environment for All Citizens, Visitors, and Employees BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BANGOR: BE IT RESOLVED, that the attached Resolve is hereby adopted and approved which states, in summary, that the City promotes and supports the goal that all residents, visitors, and employees deserve to breathe clean air, live, work, and play in tobacco free environments and that the City will collaborate with other partners to advocate for tobacco free policies and environments. IN CITY COUNCIL June 25, 2012 Motion made and seconded for Passage P s CITY GKM jol!oun03 o; pau6issd (`3-1111.) 12-224 JUNE 25, 2012 CITY OF BANGOR RESOLVE, PROMOTING AND SUPPORTING A TOBACCO - FREE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL CITIZENS, VISITORS, AND EMPLOYEES WHEREAS, the city of Bangor is committed to the vision of a community promoting and supporting wellness and enhancing quality of life for its citizens, visitors, and employees, which contributes to Bangor being a safe and healthy place to live, work and play; and WHEREAS, the Bangor City Council in 2007 provided leadership by adopting the first municipal smoke-free vehicle law in Maine protecting our children; and WHEREAS, the Federal CDC states that tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. and Maine; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency has classified secondhand smoke as a class A carcinogen, the most toxic class of chemicals known to cause cancer; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Surgeon General stated in a 2006 report that there is "no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke", and WHEREAS, tobacco use and tobacco smoke exposure is a serious health risk to all people, especially infants, children, pregnant women and the elderly; and increases a non-smokers risk for diseases such as asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer; and WHEREAS, smoking materials are the leading cause of home and total fire deaths in the United States and in Maine; and WHEREAS, there is no ventilation system effective in removing cancer causing chemicals contained in second-hand smoke; and WHERAS, surveys suggest that the majority of people in Maine prefer to live in smoke-free environments; and WHEREAS, tobacco -use and exposure to secondhand smoke are contrary to enhancing quality of life and providing safe environments for citizens, visitors and employees; and WHEREAS, the economic burden of cigarette use includes more than $193 billion annually in health care costs and loss of productivity, according to a U. S. Surgeon General 2010 report. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BANGOR CITY COUNCIL THAT: The City of Bangor does hereby promote and support the goal that all residents, visitors, and employees deserve to breathe clean air; live, work, and play in tobacco free environments; and that the City of Bangor will collaborate with the Public Health Advisory Board and other public health organizations to advocate for tobacco free policies and environments.