NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) is thrilled to announce its partnership with the New Orleans Pelicans by promoting Healthier Air for All and encouraging everyone to Join the Movement towards a Smoke-Free New Orleans.
In addition to creating a smoke-free New Orleans, TFL has remained focused on encouraging students not to start using tobacco and educating them on the negative effects of tobacco use. On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will help kickoff Tobacco-Free Living Week with an assembly at Joseph A. Craig Charter School (1423 St Philip Street, New Orleans 70116).
On Wednesday, Nov. 12, as the Pelicans face the Los Angeles Lakers at the Smoothie King Center, the team will host Healthier Air for All Night. Throughout the game, fans will be educated about how they can Join the Movement towards a Smoke- Free New Orleans.
“We are excited to be partnering with the Pelicans organization to get as many people as we can to Join the Movement for a smoke-free New Orleans,” said Tonia Moore, Associate Director of TFL “By simply asking smokers to step outside for a few minutes, we can help improve the health of the employees and entertainers who make their living in the places that still allow smoking indoors. The reality is that 79 percent of Louisianans don’t smoke, and Smoke-Free Week is a great opportunity for us to show that clean air is a good thing for everyone.”
TFL and the Pelicans will work together over the coming months to promote smoke-free environments and the importance of protection for all Louisianans against secondhand smoke. Several players will help spread the message of the importance of being tobacco-free and smoke-free through various PSAs and other promotional efforts.
TFL, a program of the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and administered by the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), is working to create a #SmokeFreeNOLA by encouraging residents to support protection for those who work in environments that still allow smoking indoors. The organization has launched HealthierAirforAll.org to engage the community, including volunteer opportunities, as well as a platform for locals to share their stories. TFL hopes to have citizens write to local policymakers in support of smoke-free policies.
The average smoker tries his or her first cigarette before the age of 18, and an estimated 1,000 youth in that age group become new daily cigarette smokers according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Additionally, the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that smoking makes individuals perform worse at all levels as they are unable to heal as fast as non-smokers and are not as strong as nonsmokers. The effects of smoking would be detrimental for an athlete.
Last season, the Pelicans committed to making their practice facility, as well as the business office, smoke-free.
The Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium (LCRC)
The Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium of New Orleans provides a structure in which Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - the state's two leading medical research institutions - will work together and coordinate cancer research development in preparation for recognition as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) - Designated Cancer Center. The consortium is funded through five cents of the tobacco excise tax, three cents to fund infrastructure and cancer research program development for the new Consortium and two cents for tobacco control and prevention programs. Conservative estimates indicate that approximately $10 million per year will be generated from this revenue source. For more information, visit www.lcrc.info
The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
The Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (TFL) and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals Tobacco Control Program (LTCP) coordinate their efforts in tobacco prevention and control by providing statewide coordination of existing tobacco control initiatives, funding innovative community programs for tobacco control, offering services for people who are ready to quit and developing statewide media campaigns to help reduce the excessive burden of tobacco use on the state’s resources and improve the overall health and quality of life in Louisiana. For more information visit www.tobaccofreeliving.org. To find out more about the dangers of secondhand smoke and show your support for a 100-percent smoke-free Louisiana, visit www.healthierairforall.org. To learn more about quitting tobacco, visit www.quitwithusla.org.
About the Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI)
Founded in 1997, The Louisiana Public Health Institute’s mission is to promote and improve the health and quality of life in Louisiana through public-private partnering at the community, parish and state levels. By fostering collaborative endeavors in the areas of health information, public policy, applied research, and community capacity enhancement, LPHI works to develop community-oriented solutions that improve the health of the Louisiana population. For more information, visit www.lphi.org.