The NCI Smoke-free Meeting Policy states:
NCI recognizes that Environmental Tobacco Smoke (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. In order to reduce cancer and other serious health hazards caused by ETS exposure, all meetings and conferences organized and/or sponsored by NCI shall be held in a town, city, county, or state that is smoke free, unless specific circumstances justify an exception from this policy.
Background
In the most recent Surgeon General's Report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D., concluded that there is no safe level of exposure. Research shows that many thousands of adult nonsmokers have died from lung cancer caused by exposure to secondhand smoke. In addition, each year, exposure to secondhand smoke causes an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 cardiovascular deaths in nonsmoking adults as well as serious illness in infants and young children.
C-Change, formerly known as the National Dialogue on Cancer, established a policy in 2005 stating that it would convene meetings only in smoke-free jurisdictions as of 2006. Since then, many organizations have instituted similar policies, including the American Public Health Association (APHA), the American Mecidal Association, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's-Coordinating Center for Health PRomotion (CoCHP), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Visit Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights (ANR) website for information about smoke-free meeting policies adopted by other organizations and to view ANR's model smoke-free meetings resolution.
Cancers caused by tobacco use account for fully one-third of all cancer deaths. The NCI Executive Committee believes the Smoke-free Meetings Policy is an important and effective means of helping fulfill NCI's mission; furthermore, it allows the Institute to serve as an example to the cancer research community.
Additional Resources
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Exceptions to the Policy
The new policy addresses meetings and conferences primarily organized or sponsored by NCI that involve 20 or more attendees. The policy excludes conference grants and other grant sponsored meetings, or meetings in which NCI is but one of many organizers.
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
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Feedback about the Policy
Please direct questions and comments to: NCISmokefree@mail.nih.gov
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Secondhand Smoke Related NCI Monographs and Surgeon General Reports
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke: A Report of the Surgeon General (June 2006)
Tobacco Control Monograph 10: Health Effects of Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke
(August 1999)
The Health Consequences of Involuntary Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (December 1986)
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Frequently Asked Questions and Additional Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
NCI Announces New Smoke-free Meeting Policy Press Release
El Instituto Nacional del Cáncer (NCI) anuncia su nueva política de reuniones libres
Press Release-Spanish
NIDA Announces Smoke-free Meeting Policy Press Release
Americans for Nonsmokers' Rights Website
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