WA Breathes invites you to join in signing on to this educational policy statement to demonstrate broad support for restoring adequate state investment in evidence-based, equity-focused strategies to reduce the use of addictive and harmful commercial tobacco products.

We request that interested organizations sign on to this statement by Friday February 17^th. Additional signers will be accepted after Feb. 17^th and added to the statement.

Professionals working in prevention, public health, health care, behavioral health, education, and related fields may also support this statement as individuals. Your professional title will be collected and provided on the statement for identification purposes only.

Sign On Instructions: Please complete this simple Google Form.

As we collect signers the statement is being updated periodically on the Washington Breathes Policy Statement webpage.

Background about the development of this statement:

This policy position statement was created through many months of collaborative work by members of the Policy Work Group of Washington Breathes. It was approved for distribution by the Steering Committee of Washington Breathes as a position statement aligned with the Vision and Mission of our coalition.

Our Vision: A healthier Washington, where commercial tobacco-related inequities are non-existent and where all people in our communities, across generations, are free from nicotine addiction, disease and premature death caused by commercial tobacco.

Our Mission: To bring together diverse partners from a variety of sectors to build capacity, collaborate, increase understanding, support cessation, and develop policy, systems, and environmental changes aimed at eliminating inequities and the negative effects from commercial tobacco use, sales and marketing.

We use the term “commercial tobacco” to describe tobacco that is manufactured and marketed by the commercial tobacco industry, and is linked to addiction, disease, and death. We differentiate clearly from the sacred and ceremonial use of traditional tobacco by some American Indian tribes that, when used appropriately, is not associated with addiction and adverse health impacts.

Data sources to support the statement’s explanation of health impacts and funding history are available on the Washington Breathes website. This data sources link is also on the bottom of page 1 of the position statement.

We welcome you to learn more about Washington Breathes and join us: About Washington Breathes