The American Legacy Foundation recently adopted a smoke-free meetings policy. A growing body of research has found that tobacco smoke is a major contributor to indoor air pollution, and that breathing secondhand smoke is a cause of disease in healthy nonsmokers, including heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease and lung cancer. In addition, the Surgeon General also found that secondhand smoke was responsible for the early deaths of nearly 50,000 Americans in 2005. The Surgeon General has unequivocally stated that there is "no" safe level of exposure to second smoke.

In recent years, many cities and states have adopted smoke-free air laws to protect people against the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. To protect the health and safety of foundation staff, partners and to show support for smoke-free environments, the Foundation has resolved that it will endeavor to hold all Foundation meetings in smoke-free localities, cities or states, to the extent practicable. In cities and municipalities that are not smoke-free, the Foundation will only hold meetings in smoke-free meeting facilities. To view the Surgeon General's comprehensive report on secondhand smoke, go to http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/sgr/sgr_2006/index.htm.