Message from the President Dear Colleague, Recently, the Surgeon General's office announced two initiatives to battle the dangers of secondhand smoke. The efforts will be a joint collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These initiatives come on the heels of the June 2006 Surgeon General's report that detailed the health consequences of involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and included the warning that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. The first initiative, 'Sabemos,' is a bilingual, cultural toolkit that was developed by the Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and distributed through HHS. The kit will support efforts by Hispanic parents and community leaders to protect children in Latino communities from secondhand smoke. The second initiative is a joint effort between HHS, EPA and the American Academy of Pediatrics to help parents eliminate children's exposure to secondhand smoke by providing information to parents about quitting smoking. The American Legacy Foundation® fully supports these initiatives and the work of other organizations joining forces to educate Americans on the effects of secondhand smoke. In 2006, we were proud to have launched our own public education campaign with the Ad Council, Don't Pass Gas. The campaign features public service announcements aimed at educating parents about the dangers of secondhand smoke, and encouraging them not to smoke around their children. For more information about the campaign, visit www.dontpassgas.org. Sincerely, Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. P.H. President & CEO American Legacy Foundation