Letter: Freedom to Breathe anniversary worth celebrating

Talk about it

As a grandparent, I am naturally concerned about the safety of children. Like most grandparents, I take precautions to protect them. Yet some dangers are harder than others to protect them from. As children get older, one of those dangers is smoking.

In Minnesota, smoking prevalence has declined, yet 625,000 Minnesotans still smoke. As many as 6,800 Minnesota kids become addicted daily smokers each year.

The hidden danger is one that parents and grandparents should be especially concerned about — and for good reason. The tobacco industry spends $157 million per year in Minnesota in an effort to attract new smokers every day.

Strong public health policies, like Freedom to Breathe, are so important because they help counteract their tactics. Freedom to Breathe has helped minimize the opportunities for exposure to smoking by providing smoke-free places to eat.

On the five-year anniversary of Freedom to Breathe, I celebrated with my family. I hope you did the same.

Tags: freedom to breathe, opinion, letters, health