'Clearing the air' looks at smoking

Every day in the state of Indiana, 27 Hoosiers die from tobacco-related illnesses. This startling statistic is just one of many the Putnam County community can hear more about on Thursday, March 8.

The Putnam County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Coalition and the Greencastle League of Women Voters will co-sponsor "Clearing the Air," an educational forum on Secondhand Smoke at 7 p.m. in the Greencastle High School Cafeteria.

Panelist will includie Dr. Steven Jay; Miranda Spitznagle, research and evaluation director for the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation agency; and Michael McDonald, program director for Hendricks County Coalition for Tobacco Intervention and Prevention. They will be on hand with presentations explaining the effects of secondhand smoke in the workplace, the economic concerns and what other communities are doing to battle the negative effects tobacco has on our communities.

There will be opportunities for questions and comments after the initial presentations. Anyone with questions prior to March 8 can contact Meredith Williams, program director for Putnam County Tobacco Prevention and Cessation at 655-2697 or mwilliams@pchosp.org or Leslie Hanson with the Greencastle League of Women Voters at 653-4834.