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Tobacco Free Missouri Holds Rally in Capitol

By Collin Reischman

Jefferson City, MO — Tobacco Free Missouri held a rally on Wednesday, Jan 23rd in the Capitol Building, the goal of which was to educate new legislators on Tobaccotobacco legislation and clean air laws, according to TFM Director Traci Kennedy.

“We think of ourselves as pro-clean air,” Kennedy said. “We’ve got 200 schoolchildren here today that have collected more than 2,000 testimonies from other kids about why they stand up to tobacco.”

Kennedy said the primary goal was to meet freshmen legislators and encourage them to adopt “pro-clean air,” positions. Tobacco Free Missouri is a membership coalition with more than a dozen local membership groups.

The American Lung Association partnered with TFM for the event, distributing “report cards on clean air,” for the state legislature, which received an F in all categories.

Students addressed the crowd, vowing to stand up against tobacco in the state. Kennedy said the goal of TFM was to create a Missouri with less smoking in public places, reduced  smoking in Capitol offices, and a possible increase in the tobacco products sales tax defeated last year in the general election.

 

Collin Reischman can be reached by emailing him at collin@themissouritimes.com or on twitter at @CReischman