Smoke-free foster-care legislation would protect Minnesota's most vulnerable children

ST. PAUL, Minn., Jan. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- David Willoughby, Chief Executive Officer of ClearWay Minnesota, made this statement today, reacting to a bill requiring that Minnesota foster-care homes be smoke-free, introduced by Representative Tina Liebling (DFL-Rochester).

"Foster families provide care to some of the most vulnerable children in our state," said Willoughby. "We applaud Representative Liebling for taking an important step to protect them from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

"There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke," he said. "Secondhand smoke is known to cause respiratory infections, asthma attacks and ear infections in children. Children are particularly susceptible to secondhand smoke because their bodies are still developing."

About ClearWay Minnesota^SM
ClearWay Minnesota is an independent nonprofit organization that improves the health of Minnesotans by reducing the harm caused by tobacco. ClearWay Minnesota serves Minnesota through its grant-making program, QUITPLAN^® stop-smoking services and statewide outreach activities. It is funded with three percent of the state's 1998 tobacco settlement. For more information on ClearWay Minnesota or QUITPLAN Services, call 952-767-1400 or visit clearwaymn.org.

SOURCE ClearWay Minnesota

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