Political Quotes

“This amendment establishes smoke-free schools across America. It is consistent but slightly different than the Goals 2000 legislation. Mr. Chairman, scientific evidence is mounting that secondhand smoke breathed by non-smokers is a dangerous and toxic environmental pollutant. According to the American Medical Association, environmental tobacco smoke is the third leading cause of early death in the United States. Children suffer the most from the effects of secondhand smoke. The Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] estimates that, each year, smoke from tobacco causes 150,000 to 300,000 cases of bronchitis and pneumonia in children under 18 months of age. More than a million children suffer from asthma attacks triggered by cigarettes. We must protect our children from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke by supporting the Durbin amendment. This legislation would restrict smoking in public schools across the country, except in separately ventilated areas.”