It’s Business Smart A statewide smoke free indoor workplace law will protect Mississippi employees from the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure, save thousands of lives and benefit the state’s economy and taxpayers by saving millions on health care costs, insurance, maintenance and other costs of secondhand smoke exposure. Regulating secondhand smoke exposure in the workplace is no different from other laws and regulations that protect employees and customers from potentially dangerous conditions: Airplanes are smoke free to protect airline employees and passengers from exposure to secondhand smoke. Sanitary guidelines for food production, storage and serving in the food industry ensure the safety of employees and consumers. Without a comprehensive smoke free indoor workplace law, all Mississippians are forced to pay for a business owner’s decision to allow smoking: $719 million each year in health care costs directly caused by smoking $216 million covered by the State’s Medicaid program $552 per household in federal and state tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures $1.49 billion in smoking-caused productivity losses in Mississippi Smoke free policies do not adversely affect business and actually save them money: Numerous studies of objective data-including analysis of hospitality tax revenue in Mississippi – show that when cities go smoke free it does not adversely impact bars and restaurants. According to an Environmental Protection Agency report, smoke free businesses ultimately save money on health care costs, insurance, maintenance and other direct or indirect costs of secondhand smoke. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke cost $92 billion in productivity losses each year. Analyses of tax revenues from Mississippi communities with smoke-free laws clearly demonstrated that none of these communities experienced a decline in sales tax revenue from restaurants and hotels after enacting these laws The rights of business owners should not result in significant costs to Mississippi taxpayers. Now is the time for lawmakers to protect the health, pocketbooks and wellbeing of Mississippi taxpayers, employees and customers. www.smokefreemississippi.org Smoke-Free Mississippi is a broad coalition of organizations who believe all Mississippians deserve to breathe smoke-free air. We support a comprehensive, statewide smoke-free indoor workplace law to protect Mississippians from the dangers of secondhand smoke exposure in all workplaces. All employees should be protected from exposure to secondhand smoke in the workplace. There is no safe level of secondhand smoke – everyone deserves to breathe smoke-free air! American Cancer Society American Heart Association American Lung Association The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids Americans for Nonsmokers Rights Foundation Mississippi State Department of Health Mississippi State Board of Health Airgas American Academy of Pediatrics, MS Chapter Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority A Taste of Chicago, Moorhead Baptist Hospital N. MS, Oxford Bear's Deli Bear's Fitness Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation Boerner Law Firm Brain Injury Association of Mississippi Brookhaven Ear, Nose and Throat City of Grenada, Mayor Billy Collins Chandler Pharmacy, Calhoun City CMI Families First Resource Center Consulting Solutions, Inc Delta Health Alliance Delta Health Partners Healthy Start Initiative/Tougaloo College Downtown Jackson Partners Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses Association Eupora Head Start Gilmore Memorial Regional Medical Center Grenada Lions Club Humphreys County Health Network Information and Quality Healthcare Itawamba Community College Jackson State University Jeffries Interiors, Bruce Landmark Real Estate, Magee Leflore-Carroll County American Cancer Society M. Land Company, Inc. Mississippi Area Health Education Center MS Academy of Family Physicians Foundation Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Mississippi Alliance for School Health Mississippi Area Health Education Center Mississippi Hospital Association Mississippi Municipal League Mississippi Nurses Association Mississippi Nurses Foundation Mississippi Primary Health Care Association Mississippi Psychiatric Association Mississippi Public Health Association Mississippi School Nurses Association Miskelly's Furniture Municipality of Calhoun City, Mayor J.R. Denton NAPA Auto Parts North Sunflower Medical Center, Ruleville North Mississippi State Hospital Noxubee Civic Center Olive Branch Family YMCA Pathway Planning Paul LaCoste Sports Plymouth Tube Company RC Construction Safe Kids Mississippi Sharkey - Issaquena Health Network Shaw Health Council Southern Mississippi Area Health Education Center Stars in Motion, Southaven State Bank Stepp-Saver Pharmacy, Bruce St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson St. Gabriel Mercy Center Inc. - Mound Bayou Tri-Lakes Medical Center, Batesville Triple Stop Service Stations USM College of Health USM Institute for Disability Studies Faith Based Organizations: MS Baptist Convention Board MS Baptist Convention Christian Action Commission Assemblies of God State HQ Bishop Duncan Gray III, Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi Delta Missions Outreach Ministry John Perkins Foundation Mississippi Faith Based Coalition, Inc Mission Mississippi 100 Concerned Clergy United Christian Brotherhood United Pentecostal Church, MS District We Will Go Ministries Brown Missionary Baptist Church, Southaven Calvary United Methodist Church, New Albany Emmanuel Baptist Church, Macon Flowery Mount M.B. Church First Baptist Church, Mathiston God Cares Ministries, DeKalb Holiness Church of Christ Liberty Hill A.M.E. Church Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Macon Neshoba Baptist Church New Horizon Church, Jackson New Living Way C.F. Church, Greenville Oak Grove Missionary Baptist , Preston Oak Hill Baptist Church, Hernando Paradise Baptist Church, Senatobia Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, Meridian Smith Chapel M.B. Church St. Peter Church, Pace Walk of Faith Covenant Church, Mound Bayou