Although we have contacted various key stakeholders for HB 186, we have not received any replies. We are still looking to receive responses within the next few weeks. Should we not receive any responses, we will continue to try and contact these stakeholders through other means of communication such as written letters.
Through tracking this bill, we have become aware that it has been killed in sub-committee. This means that the bill has been laid aside and will not be brought to a House vote or considered any further for now. Delegate Beverly Sherwood, who is the chair of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee, has the ability to bring this bill to a committee vote at a later date.
There are a few possibilities as to why this bill might have been killed. One possibility is tobacco company influence. Many people who voted to kill this bill have ties to the tobacco company. Another possibility is that the civil penalty would hard to enforce, unless a person was stopped for another moving violation. The Health Care Reform is also requiring a lot of attention in the government currently, which makes smaller bills like HB 186 less significant right now.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Contacts
The first person we will contact is Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey. As the patron of the bill, he is a key stakeholder in promoting the agenda. By contacting him, we will be informing him that there are constituents interested in promoting and supporting the bill. This blog will help to continue to provide information and research that we have collected and may be of interest to him.
The next person we will contact is Delegate Beverly Sherwood who is the chair of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee. This person has the ability to influence the passage of this bill. Currently this bill is being held within a subcommittee in this specific committee for discussion and possible revision prior to a full committee vote.
Another key stakeholder to contact is the Speaker of the House, Delegate William Howell. He is important because, like Beverly Sherwood, he also has the power to influence whether or not a full house vote will be needed to pass the bill. He also is able to decide which committee takes a look at the bill and decides on revisions or if it should even move forward.
One of the more prominent lobbying groups in Virginia for Clean air is the community action group Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public (GASP). We have decided to contact them with a link to this bill in order to provide them with our research and information so that they may use it in their promotion of clean air in connection with HB 186. Hopefully, this will also help them recognize that there are constituents in VA that agree with their position on this bill.
Another major stakeholder is Philip Morris USA, a tobacco company that is prominent in VA especially around the Greater Richmond area. Though they are a tobacco company that is obviously seeking profit on their products, they still support federal regulation of tobacco products. They give health information on their products within their national website, so by providing a link to this blog it may help give more information regarding secondhand smoking especially when it pertains to children.
The last person that we will be contacting is Governor McDonnell because as the Governor of Virginia the position he maintains on bills can greatly influence the rest of the members of his party. Therefore, if he were to support HB 186 then it may persuade the rest of the Republican party to look more carefully into their positions on the bill. By providing him a link to this blog we can give him a better understanding of some basic facts regarding the effects of secondhand smoke on children within a motor vehicle. This blog would help to show that there are constituents that support this bill who are not necessarily involved with the government.
The next person we will contact is Delegate Beverly Sherwood who is the chair of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee. This person has the ability to influence the passage of this bill. Currently this bill is being held within a subcommittee in this specific committee for discussion and possible revision prior to a full committee vote.
Another key stakeholder to contact is the Speaker of the House, Delegate William Howell. He is important because, like Beverly Sherwood, he also has the power to influence whether or not a full house vote will be needed to pass the bill. He also is able to decide which committee takes a look at the bill and decides on revisions or if it should even move forward.
One of the more prominent lobbying groups in Virginia for Clean air is the community action group Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public (GASP). We have decided to contact them with a link to this bill in order to provide them with our research and information so that they may use it in their promotion of clean air in connection with HB 186. Hopefully, this will also help them recognize that there are constituents in VA that agree with their position on this bill.
Another major stakeholder is Philip Morris USA, a tobacco company that is prominent in VA especially around the Greater Richmond area. Though they are a tobacco company that is obviously seeking profit on their products, they still support federal regulation of tobacco products. They give health information on their products within their national website, so by providing a link to this blog it may help give more information regarding secondhand smoking especially when it pertains to children.
The last person that we will be contacting is Governor McDonnell because as the Governor of Virginia the position he maintains on bills can greatly influence the rest of the members of his party. Therefore, if he were to support HB 186 then it may persuade the rest of the Republican party to look more carefully into their positions on the bill. By providing him a link to this blog we can give him a better understanding of some basic facts regarding the effects of secondhand smoke on children within a motor vehicle. This blog would help to show that there are constituents that support this bill who are not necessarily involved with the government.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
The Plan
According to Americans for Nonsmokers Rights, "The air quality in a car where someone is smoking can reach nearly 10 times over the hazardous levels set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency." (W. Ott, N. Klepeis, and P. Switzer, Air Change Rates of Motor Vehicles and In-Vehicle Pollutant Concentrations from Secondhand Smoke. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, 2007) As a group, we unanimously support HB 186. The point of the bill is to protect children from second-hand smoke and being in toxic environments where they cannot remove themselves. As future healthcare providers, it is our duty to promote prevention and healthy behaviors. Specifically, keeping adults from smoking in motor vehicles with children present is one step closer to reducing the toxic effects on developing children.
We are using this blog to advocate for this bill and to provide information while raising awareness. We will be contacting key stakeholders as well as legislators and continue updating this blog with the information they provide us. The key stakeholders for this bill are families who smoke, tobacco companies, special interest groups, and healthcare providers. Key legislators involved are Delegate Morrissey who sponsored the bill, the chair of the House Militia, Police and Public Safety committee Delegate Beverly Sherwood, the speaker of the House Delegate William Howell, as well as Governor Bob McDonnell. Other legislators we could contact are members of the subcommittee that dealt specifically with this bill.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Objectives, Influences, and Impact
Governmental Objectives: The Surgeon General states that "secondhand smoke contains more than 250 chemicals known to be toxic or carcinogenic (cancer-causing), including formaldehyde, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide. Children who are exposed to secondhand smoke are inhaling man of the same cancer-causing substances and poisons as smokers" (accessed February 23, 2010).
According to the current Health People 2010 objectives as well as the proposed Healthy People 2020 objectives the general goal for the American people is to reduce the proportion of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke especially "in cars when children under the age of 18 are present" (accessed February 23, 2010).
Political Influences: In our research, we have found that tobacco companies are known to give money to political leaders who have a voice in tobacco laws. This can influence the voting process for bills like HB 186. Tobacco companies clearly would not want this law to come into effect and by giving money to political leaders they can persuade them to vote against bills that would negatively affect the industry.
A Virginia special interest group called, GASP or Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public provides information to the public regarding bills in consideration towards eliminating smoking in public. Lobbyists from this group support the HB 186 bill with the belief that "no one should be forced into smoking secondhand".
Potential Impact of Policy Change: Should this policy be implemented in Virginia, nurses should be knowledgeable of all aspects so that they can educate the general population who may not know this information otherwise. In general, this policy change would help to decrease the number of children affected by secondhand smoke. This would also reduce their need for health care in the future as adults therefore allowing more money to be spent on diseases that cannot be prevented. Overall, it would save the health care system money in the future by preventing it now.
According to the current Health People 2010 objectives as well as the proposed Healthy People 2020 objectives the general goal for the American people is to reduce the proportion of nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke especially "in cars when children under the age of 18 are present" (accessed February 23, 2010).
Political Influences: In our research, we have found that tobacco companies are known to give money to political leaders who have a voice in tobacco laws. This can influence the voting process for bills like HB 186. Tobacco companies clearly would not want this law to come into effect and by giving money to political leaders they can persuade them to vote against bills that would negatively affect the industry.
A Virginia special interest group called, GASP or Group to Alleviate Smoking in Public provides information to the public regarding bills in consideration towards eliminating smoking in public. Lobbyists from this group support the HB 186 bill with the belief that "no one should be forced into smoking secondhand".
Potential Impact of Policy Change: Should this policy be implemented in Virginia, nurses should be knowledgeable of all aspects so that they can educate the general population who may not know this information otherwise. In general, this policy change would help to decrease the number of children affected by secondhand smoke. This would also reduce their need for health care in the future as adults therefore allowing more money to be spent on diseases that cannot be prevented. Overall, it would save the health care system money in the future by preventing it now.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Basics of HB 186
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), children's exposure to secondhand smoke is more detrimental than that of adults for multiple reasons. Specifically, the lungs of children are still developing physically, so they have a higher respiratory rate causing them to take in more of the toxins in the air. Most importantly, being exposed to environmental carcinogens are beyond the child's control. Removing themselves from a harmful environment may not always be an option. In enclosed areas, secondhand smoke will linger beyond the period of time that the cigarette is lit permeating throughout the area. Opening windows is not enough. Some of the health risks associated with secondhand smoke exposure are increased rates of lower respiratory tract infections, exacerbations of asthma and other pre-existing conditions.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Surgeon General's 2006 report noted that approximately 60 percent of US children aged 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke. The surgeon general reemphasized that it can cause premature death as many children are more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than adults are.
The Virginia House Bill 186 is attempting to enact a civil penalty of $100 for smoking in a motor vehicle, whether in motion or at rest, with a minor under the age of 13. Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey from the general Richmond area is proposing this in order to protect minors that cannot protect themselves from harmful environments. The money which would normally be given to the Literary Fund, will instead be allocated to the Virginia Health Care Fund.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Surgeon General's 2006 report noted that approximately 60 percent of US children aged 3-11 are exposed to secondhand smoke. The surgeon general reemphasized that it can cause premature death as many children are more heavily exposed to secondhand smoke than adults are.
The Virginia House Bill 186 is attempting to enact a civil penalty of $100 for smoking in a motor vehicle, whether in motion or at rest, with a minor under the age of 13. Delegate Joseph D. Morrissey from the general Richmond area is proposing this in order to protect minors that cannot protect themselves from harmful environments. The money which would normally be given to the Literary Fund, will instead be allocated to the Virginia Health Care Fund.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
