Draft 1:  ACPM Resolution on
Smoke-free Meeting Policy to Address Major Public Health Hazard 

Introduced by:        ACPM 

Subject:                  Smoke-Free Meeting Policy

Whereas, Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is a cause of lung cancer and heart disease among adults, and sudden infant death syndrome, acute respiratory infections, middle ear disease, and more severe asthma in children (http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm); and 

Whereas, Exposure to SHS is estimated to cause about 50,000 deaths each year in the United States (http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/ets/finalreport/finalreport.htm); and 

Whereas, our American Medical Association recognizes that ETS is an important preventable cause of death from cancer and other illnesses, and that many Americans, both adults and children, remain at significant risk from ETS exposure; and   

Whereas, At the 2005 Interim Meeting, our AMA adopted Resolution 903, calling for the AMA to “actively support national, state and local legislation and actively pursue regulations banning smoking in all workplaces”; and 

Whereas, Fourteen states (CA, CO, CT, DE, HI, ME, MA, MT, NJ, NY, RI, UT, VT, & WA) have adopted laws establishing smoke-free worksites and public places, including bars and restaurants, and several local jurisdictions including the District of Columbia and Chicago have adopted similar legislation; and 

Whereas, The American Public Health Association, the National Cancer Institute, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse have adopted policies directing these organizations to restrict their meetings and conferences to states or municipalities that have enacted comprehensive legislation requiring smoke-free worksites and public places (http://www.apha.org/news/press/2004/oppolicy_121704.htm; http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/smoke-freepolicyrelease; http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/sep2006/nida-21.htm); and 

Whereas, The National Cancer Institute has developed guidelines on how to implement a policy restricting meetings and conferences to smoke-free jurisdictions (http://dccps.cancer.gov/tcrb/smokefreemeetingpolicy.html); therefore be it 

RESOLVED, That all meetings and conferences organized and/or primarily sponsored by our AMA be held in a town, city, county, or state that has enacted comprehensive legislation requiring smoke-free worksites and public places (including restaurants and bars), unless special circumstances justify an exception to this policy; and be it further 

RESOLVED, That our AMA encourage state and local medical societies, national medical specialty societies, and other health organizations to adopt a similar policy.