Let's Celebrate Our Freedom to Breathe!

Did you know that Minnesota has been smoke-free for one year?

Because of advocates like you, the State of Minnesota is celebrating the first anniversary on October 1 of all workplaces becoming smoke-free. Passage of the Freedom to Breathe Act is one of the most significant public health accomplishments in the history of Minnesota. As American Heart Association advocates, let's celebrate this great accomplishment by thanking our state legislators and Governor Pawlenty!

CLICK HERE to Show How Much You Love Your Freedom to Breathe!

The Minnesota Legislature passed the measure and it was signed into law by Governor Pawlenty with the recognition that there are no safe levels of exposure to secondhand smoke. Today, Minnesota is a heart-healthier state thanks to the foresight of the legislature and the governor. Please take one minute to thank your legislators and Governor Pawlenty for this great public health victory!

How Active are Your Kids in School?

Most kids are active all summer- playing outside, going to the pool, running around the neighborhood. But how active are kids in school? As kids are heading back to school, we need to remind state legislators how important quality physical education programs are in combating childhood obesity and getting kids active.
Take this opportunity to tell your state legislators that strengthening physical education is important to you!


CLICK HERE to show your support for Active Kids in our Schools

Thanks!
Bethany

P.S. For more information about Go Healthy month and how to keep your kids active all year long, please visit http://www.healthiergeneration.org/ for some great resources!

Save the Date: 2009 Heart on the Hill

2009 Minnesota Heart on the Hill

Wednesday, March 11, 2009
NEW LOCATION: Concordia University/State Capitol
Buenger Education Center
275 N. Syndicate St.
St Paul, MN 55104
8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Join other advocates to speak with Minnesota legislators with a strong, unified voice about the importance of fighting heart disease and stroke. Training provided. Breakfast and lunch included. Online registration required by February 11, 2009.

Reserve your spot today! To register, click here.

For more information regarding the program and the top issues this year, visit www.heart.org/mnheartonthehill.

If you encounter problems with registering online, please contact Nancy at 952-278-7918 or at nancy.tarbox@heart.org.

Do you love the Freedom to Breathe Act? Write a letter to the editor of you local newspaper!

One year ago, on October 1, 2007, because of advocates like you, the state of Minnesota became smokefree in all workplaces. Passage of the Freedom to Breathe Act is one of the most significant public health accomplishments in the history of Minnesota.

The Minnesota Legislature passed the measure and it was signed into law by Governor Pawlenty with the recognition that there are no safe levels of exposure to secondhand smoke. Today, thanks to the foresight of the legislature and the governor, Minnesota is a healthier state. As American Heart Association advocates, let’s celebrate this great accomplishment by thanking our state legislators and Governor Pawlenty by writing letters to editors of newspapers across the state.

American Heart Association staff can help you craft a letter and submit it to a paper. Just email me at bethany.snyder@heart.org for assistance.

New poll finds Freedom to Breathe Act still popular one year later

The Freedom to Breathe Act is almost one year old! A new survey has found 77 percent of Minnesotans are happy with the Freedom to Breathe Act, the state's smoke-free law, nearly one year after it took effect in 2007.

The survey found the law's popularity was comparable to that of the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Vikings, and exceeded that of Minnesota institutions like the Mall of America and the State Fair's Pronto Pups.

Full release

Shop for a Cause with Macy's on Saturday, September 20th!

Macy's stores nationwide will host a Shop for a Cause charity shopping day, with donations benefiting the American Heart Association and other local nonprofit organizations. Customers who make a minimum $5 donation will receive an all-day savings pass for select merchandise in-store and on macys.com. Make your donation online and download your savings pass in advance. You are also invited to get your pass in-store on Sept. 20. Macy's is a national sponsor of Go Red For Women

The Fit Kids Act Gains Support in Minnesota

Fighting childhood obesity involves multiple strategies- in local communities, at the state level and nationwide. That is why the American Heart Association supports the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act (FIT Kids Act). This legislation has been introduced, by Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), to help address this urgent need and ensure a healthier generation of children and adolescents. This summer Rep. Tim Walz (CD1) joined Rep. Keith Ellison (CD5) and Rep. Collin Peterson (CD7) as Fit Kids Act co-sponsors, showing their support for getting our kids active every day.

Don’t see your Member of Congress listed? Click here to send him/her a message!

58% fewer beverage calories shipped to schools across USA

A report released today by the American Beverage Association shows that 58% fewer beverage calories have been shipped to schools across the United States. The School Beverage Guidelines Progress Report tracks the progress of the landmark agreement between the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation).

Former President Bill Clinton, founder of the William J. Clinton Foundation, along with Dr. Tim Gardner, President of the American Heart Association, and Susan Neely, President and CEO of the American Beverage Association, announced this tremendous shift in the amount of beverage calories available to students in schools.

In May 2006, leading members of the beverage industry and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced a voluntary agreement to phase out the sale of full-calorie carbonated soft drinks in America's schools and to accelerate the shift to lower-calorie and more nutritious beverages. The report measures the volumes of different products sold in schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels, and the percent of school contracts complying with the voluntary agreement.

The Report’s key findings include:
- School contracts have exceeded their benchmark goal. The industry has surpassed the 2008 goal of 75% of schools under contract in compliance with the guidelines. The Report shows 79% compliance in schools across the United States.
- The school beverage landscape has changed. The number of shipments of full-calorie carbonated soft drinks to schools was 65% lower during the 2007-08 school year than it was in 2004, before the voluntary agreement went into effect.
- Calories are coming out of the schools. The major shift away from full-calorie carbonated soft drinks resulted in a 58% decrease in total beverage calories shipped to schools between 2004 and the 2007-08 school year.

Q&A: School Beverage Guidelines Progress Report Release - September 10, 2008

To read the American Beverage Association press release, go to http://www.ameribev.org/news-detail/index.aspx?nid=165

To read the full progress report, go to http://www.schoolbeverages.com/.

ClearWay Minnesota Listening Tour

We love our Freedom to Breathe, don't we? One of our coalition partners, ClearWay MN, is organizing a listening tour so you can share your support of this great bill with your elected officials! Check out the information below and let me (bethany.snyder@heart.org) know if you can attend!

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The ClearWay Minnesota Listening Tour is hitting the road to meet with smoke-free advocates around the state. The Listening Tour will provide a casual opportunity to meet with a ClearWay Minnesota representative and share your thoughts about the future of tobacco prevention in Minnesota. You will also get updates on the upcoming I Like It campaign to promote (or defend?) the Freedom to Breathe Act and other news from ClearWay Minnesota.

The first stops in the Listening Tour include:
Thief RiverFalls on Monday, September 22 at 2:00 PM
Bemidji on Tuesday, September 23 at 4:00 PM

We will have more information to come, including the exact locations for the meetings.
Please save the date so we can meet you on the ClearWay Minnesota Listening Tour!

For more informatin, please contact Mandy (mandy@grassrootssolutions.com).

F as in Fat: Study Shows Minnesota's Kids need Physical Education

Minnesota Youth 30th Most Overweight, up from 47th in 2007! According to a new report by Trust for America's Health (TFAH), our children are healthier than most, but we have a ways to go! Check out the report for more information about the obesity rates in Minnesota-- and what could be causing them!

http://healthyamericans.org/reports/obesity2008/Obesity2008Report.pdf

In 2003, the Minnesota Legislature abolished the graduation requirement for physical education. Minnesota is also only one of three states without statewide curriculum standards for physical education. While there is much work to do at the state level, action is currently happening at the federal level through the Fit Kids Act.

Tell your state legislators, Governor and Education Commissioner Seagren this issue is important to you!

The Fit Kids Act website can provide you with more info about our federal efforts.