Smoke-Free Oklahoma gains positive coverage from the Oklahoman

The campaign to eliminate smoking in all workplaces has received another positive push this morning from Oklahoma's largest newspaper. The Oklahoman Editorial Board published a positive editorial this morning regarding the most recent push from the Oklahoma Municipal League to pass legislation that would allow cities to make the decisions when it comes to smoking in public.

You can read that editorial below. 

Latest anti-smoking push not likely to fail in Legislature

The Oklahoman Editorial

Published: December 1, 2010


The Oklahoma Municipal League asked this week for legislation that would allow cities and towns to set their own smoking bans, and there's little reason to think the effort will get scuttled during the 2011 session. Momentum for this change is strong and has been building for some time.

Health officials citing the dangers of secondhand smoke have long sought to make all restaurants in Oklahoma smoke free, even those that followed the law and invested in ventilation systems allowing for smoking and nonsmoking areas. A poll in March of this year showed 71 percent of Oklahomans favor eliminating all indoor smoking in public places, and more than half favor a statewide smoke-free law. There have at times been efforts to ban smoking in all public places, indoors or out.


Oklahoma is one of two states with pre-emption laws regarding tobacco where state tobacco law supersedes local laws. This means municipalities may not enact anti-smoking laws that are tougher than what's on the books at the state level.


The legislation sought by the Oklahoma Municipal League would change that. It has the backing of House Speaker-designate Kris Steele, R-Shawnee, who has been at the front of other health-related initiatives during his time at the Capitol.

Oklahoma is one of just three states where 25 percent of its residents smoke. This proposed change to state law seeks to reduce that number and leave Tennessee as the lone pre-emption state. Passage would surely do the latter; only time will tell if it would significantly affect the former.

2009 Session Wrap Up

This year's legislative session was an interesting and productive one for the American Heart Association. We started off the session with a new Government Relations Director whose first day was also the first day of session.

She went to work immediately on our AED good samaritan legislation, smoke free Oklahoma, and the D.I.N.E. taskforce. It was obvious from the start that this session would yield positive things for AHA.

Our first large victory came on April 20th when Governor Henry signed into law SB745 which provides immunity to anyone who, no matter their training, uses an AED. We did not get as lucky with our smoke free Oklahoma or D.I.N.E. bill but we made great progress and used this session to educate lawmakers on these two issues. Our hope is that we can come back next year and successfully pass both pieces of legislation.

Below are some other AHA victories this session:
· Stopped legislation that would have created a ballot initiative to take TSET money and give it to adult stem cell research. Early this session, HJR 1035 was filed calling for a vote of the people to amend the Oklahoma Constitution taking away 10% of the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust earnings (master settlement funds) and diverting it for “adult” stem cell research. If the legislation passed and with an affirmative vote of the people to amend the Constitution it would have permanently appropriated 10% of the earnings to stem cell research eliminating funding for current tobacco control, fitness, and nutrition programs, as well as set precedence for other groups to raid the trust fund. This bill moved all session with great momentum and it appeared as if it could not be stopped. As of last week, the conferees denied all amendments to HJR1035 which essentially kills the bill. The issue will not be on the ballot this November and TSET’s funds are protected so they can be used for their original intention.
· Passed HB1678: This bill spells out a more detailed and expansive list (37 in total) of those medical professionals who are provided immunity under the Volunteer Medical Professional Services Act. This bill also provides immunity under this Act to persons participating in the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps who are assisting in disaster drills and community service events endorsed by a government entity.
· Passed SB399: This bill designates the Oklahoma Department of Transportation as the agency to implement the Safe Routes to Schools program. The Director is authorized to form a Safe Routes to School advisory committee, and, in consultation with the Safe Routes to Schools Advisory Committee, must establish safe routes to schools program to assist communities in identifying and reducing barriers and hazards to children walking or bicycling to and from school. It also creates a revolving fund in the State Treasury to pay for expenses.
· Passed SB1166: This bill creates regional emergency 911 districts to more efficiently provide services to the citizens of Oklahoma.
· Passed SB757: This bill creates the Oklahoma Health Information Infrastructure advisory board. The purpose of this board is to monitor and study barriers to the adoption of health information systems.
· Passed SB608: This bill will not only crack down on the retail-to-retail sales, but it will require the Creek nation to now pay 100% of the current tax rate to the state, except for on those sold to tribal members. Instead of giving noncompacting tribes the easy route of just paying 75%, this will make them pay 100% and then justify any legal tax-free sales to tribal members.

SB745-AED Good Samaritan passes House Judiciary

Yesterday afternoon SB745 passed the Oklahoma House of Represenatives Judiciary committee meeting 10-0. It will now go to the full House for a vote. Click here and tell your House member to vote YES!

Senate Bill 745 which would amend the current Good Samaritan law to allow for immunity of anyone who, in good faith, uses an AED on another person. By the passing Senate Bill 745, this will encourage Oklahomans to use AEDs and would reduce the number of cardiovascular deaths in our state.

It’s important to know that the new generations of AEDs require minimal training to use. They automatically diagnose the heart rhythm and determine if a shock is needed and prevent the user from overriding a "no shock" advisory. Their ease of use is increased by an electronic voice to prompt users through each step; all AEDs approved for use in the United States use a voice prompt.

You don’t have to be a hero to save a life, just someone who will pick up an AED and listen to the instructions. If you would like to take action on this or other legislation being supported by the American Heart Association please visit www.yourethecure.org and sign up today.

Click HERE to view a demonstration on how easy it is to use an AED.

Smoke Free Oklahoma Lobby Day

Debbie Hite, Metro Heart Association Director, visits with volunteers during Smoke Free OK Lobby Day.

This past week the American Heart Association participated in Smoke Free Oklahoma Lobby Day. Along with the American Cancer Society and the Lung Association, volunteers lobbyed their state legisltors on behalf of legislation that would make all public places smoke free.

A recent poll, done by Wilson Strategies, was conducted on January 24-25, 2009 in Oklahoma. This poll shows:
*68% of voters believe the rights of customers and employees to breathe clean air is more important than the rights of smokers to smoke and owners to allow smoking.
*59% of Oklahomans SUPPORT a smoke-free environment for Oklahoma workers and families
*52% of voters say they are more likely to vote to re-elect their state legislator if that legislator supports a smoke-free law
*94% of Oklahomans believe secondhand smoke is a health hazard – 59% say it is a “serious” health hazard, 22% say it is a “moderate” health hazard
*Smoke-free laws will increase business - - 18% of those surveyed say they would go out MORE OFTEN if restaurants and bars were smoke-free

Do you have a personal story re: secondhand smoke? I would love to hear it!