TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Nearly 70 percent of Florida voters supported Amendment 9 on Election Day, which will add a prohibition on using electronic smoking devices in most indoor workplaces to the state’s Constitution. In response to these election results, Heather Youmans, Florida’s senior government relations director with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) released the following statement.
“Last night’s election results represent a tremendous victory for public health in Florida. This is a mandate from the people of Florida that everyone has the right to breathe clean air. Adding a prohibition on using e-cigarettes in indoor workplaces to the state’s constitution promises to protect workers and the public from the potentially harmful chemicals present in the aerosol generated by these devices.
“In the upcoming legislative session, we pledge to work closely with elected officials on both sides of the aisle to implement the will of the people by updating Florida’s Clean Indoor Air Act. When this is done, nobody will have to put his or her life on the line just to earn a paycheck.”
The American Cancer Society estimates that 135,170 Floridians will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 45,030 will die from the disease. Additionally, nearly 30 percent of cancer deaths in the state are a direct result of smoking.
About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is making cancer a top priority for public officials and candidates at the federal, state and local levels. ACS CAN empowers advocates across the country to make their voices heard and influence evidence-based public policy change as well as legislative and regulatory solutions that will reduce the cancer burden. As the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN is critical to the fight for a world without cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
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