This Thanksgiving We're Grateful for You and Wisconsin's Smoke-Free Air.

My family has a tradition each Thanksgiving, I'm sure not too different from many of yours. Once all the food is on the table and we're gathered around the dining room taking in the aromas of turkey, stuffing, broccoli salad and freshly baked rolls we all pause a moment. Then, one by one, we go around the table and must each say what we're most thankful for before anyone can start eating.

Today, it's SmokeFree Wisconsin's turn at the table to say what we're most thankful for. It's been such a great year it's too hard to pick just one, but we will keep it to only two.

1) We're so thankful for you, our supporters who give in whatever way you can, helping us fight to end tobacco's long reign as the number one cause of preventable death in our state.

2) We're thankful for SMOKE-FREE AIR! This year we became one of 29 states to implement a smoke-free law. It's been a huge step forward in public health for Wisconsin. Today, every worker is guaranteed a smoke-free workplace, reducing their chances of developing chronic diseases like hearth disease or asthma, saving individuals, businesses and the entire state money in health care costs in the long-run. We know our work does not end here as more than 7,000 Wisconsinites still die each year in tobacco-related deaths, but it's a big move forward! Thank you to everyone out there who helped us push to make a smoke-free Wisconsin a reality!

Have a happy, smoke-free Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks

This week will be a short week on blog posts. SmokeFree Wisconsin in closed on Thursday and Friday of this week to observe the Thanksgiving  Holiday. We did want to share our many thanks to all those who have taken action this year to make Wisconsin a healthier place to live. 

Dear Blog Readers,

The season is upon us where we give thanks for all the things that have made 2009 great. This has been an exciting year in tobacco control advocacy. In 2009 alone we accomplished so much, including:

• Raising the cigarette tax by $1.00
• Having over 300 people testify at the Joint Committee on Finance Hearings
• Winning smoke-free air for the Cities of Verona and Weston
• Making smoke-free air a reality in rural Dane County, Monona, Middleton, Verona,  Fond du Lac, and Shorewood
• Winning smoke-free air for the entire state of Wisconsin for July 5^th, 2010

Needless to say this has been a big year, filled with a lot of winning!

We simply could not have done this work without all of you- our online network of tobacco control activists.

We just wanted to write to say thank you. Thank you for every email, every phone call, and every time you opened an alert from us and took action. Together we have accomplished so much. We have prevented Wisconsin kids from ever starting to smoke, helped more smokers find their way to quit successfully, and protected more workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

However-- none of this could have been possible without you, your actions, and your help.

Thank you for all you have done to make Wisconsin a healthier place to live. Thank you for saving lives. You have given us at SmokeFree Wisconsin so very much to be thankful for.

In Deep Gratitude,

SmokeFree Wisconsin