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HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL Nonsmokers should be protected front secondhand smoke By STUART BROWN, M.D. Director Division of Public Health A recent report released by the U.S. Surgeon General confirms what we’ve long known - secondhand smoke is deadly, and smoke free environments are the only way to effectively protect nonsmokers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. As the report notes, “smoke free environ ments are proven, simple approaches that prevent exposure and harm caused by sec ondhand smoke.” The good news for nonsmokers in Georgia is that our state has already taken steps to protect your health. Last year, the state legislature passed the Life Shapers share opgans and make a major difference By DAVID J. UNDIS Executive Director Life Sharers A story in the Houston Daily Journal about Amanda Dryden - “A reason to fight” on July 5 - highlighted the tragic shortage of human organs for transplant operations. Over half of the 92,000 Americans on the national trans plant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result. National Minority Donor Awareness Day arriving next month Special to the HDJ National Minority Donor Awareness Day (NMDAD) promotes education, health ier living, and disease pre vention for minorities. NMDAD observed annu ally on Aug. 1, raises aware ness about organ and tissue donation while promoting healthy living and disease prevention. It also increases awareness of disease which Houston Healthcare’s Annual Family Fair coming soon Join Houston Healthcare for Family Fair 2006 on Saturday, August sth from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Galleria Mall in Centerville. More than 50 exhibit booths will be on display offering health screenings, informa tion, freebies and tips on keeping families healthy. “Family Fair is truly an event for the entire fam ily. Our goal is to promote health and wellness infor mation, along with other tips and ideas on successful parenting and maintaining a healthy family to families and individuals while they are in the mall for back to-school shopping,” says Mary Jane Kinnas, director of marketing for Houston Healthcare. “We want this to be an educational event but also a fun time for children. Highlighting this year’s event, along with clowns and face painters, will be Court TV’s Digital Fingerprinting for children sponsored by Cox Media from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.” In addition to helping host the Family Fair, Middle Georgia Technical College’s Adult Literacy Program will host their second annual “Read for Your Life” 5K Relay/One Mile Fun Run on Saturday, August 5. The event will raise funds for scholarships to help the g;f» Up ** : Renvind your neighbors to help pre serve our planet's natural resources. H r . ; Recyclix* g sot future RECYCL^ Georgia Smokefree Air Act. The law prohibits smoking in most public places, including 3tate buildings, restau rants/bars serving or employing persons under age 18, places of employment, audito riums, classrooms and medical facilities. We applaud areas that have gone even further than is required by law. For example, the city of Douglas passed a citywide smoking ban inside public busi nesses, including restaurants. Clean air initiatives in that county have recently received national attention for their progressive tobacco cessation policies. All public places are required to comply with the law. are disproportionately prev alent in minority communi ties including hypertension, diabetes, and kidney disease, which may all lead to organ failure and the need for life saving organ transplants. Life Link of Georgia, the non-profit organ and tis sue procurement organiza tion works to coordinate the recovery of high-quality organs and tissue for trans Ji 7 M/l/ program’s GED graduates continue their educations at Middle Georgia Technical College. “We believe adult literacy is a worthy effort that enriches our commu nity,” says Emily Taylor, Health Literacy Coordinator for Middle Georgia Technical College. “Our event last year created Book Money NOW AVAILABLE-New line Of Commercial Grade Bobcat Mowers * * if ! jh ) _ A <7 20 HP - 52" CUT * COMMERCIAL GRAOE S Mim ZERO TURN MOWER WaSSE&rmh rm Ad) ONLY AT Lemley’s Garage Hwy. 41 • 2129 Macon Rd. • Perry, GA 478-987-3722 There is a simple solution to the organ shortage ~ give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die. Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. About 60 percent of the organs transplanted in the United States go to people who haven’t agreed to donate their own organs when they die. People who aren’t willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs. Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others plantation therapy. “We encourage everyone to seek information about organ and tissue donation,” said Kathy Lilly, senior vice president/executive director of Life Link or Georgia, “and talk with their family mem bers about their decision to donate.” “While organ and tissue donation is important for all Georgians, it is especially Scholarships for 10 of our 2006 GED graduates.” Registration for the 5K Relay/Fun Run will start at 8:30 a.m. at the Watson Boulevard entrance to the Galleria Mall. Trophies will be awarded for the quickest running times by age and gender categories, for the highest individual fundrais- •Professional Lawn Care Equipment •Walk Behind Mowers * •Residential & Commercial Zero-Turn Riding Mowers •Grounds Maintenance Equipment 0% Interest for Qualified Buyers! LOCAL This report reinforces that all public plac es, even those exempted by the law, should consider the health of their employees and patrons and adopt a smoke free work policy. For more information about the Smoke Free Air Act, to file a complaint, or to find out how to make your workplaces smoke free, visit our website: www.livehealthygeor gia.org and click on GA Smokefree Air or call our toll free number -1-877-343-3340, or in the Metro Atlanta area 404-657-3378. Smokers can also help protect the health of their loved ones, neighbors and friends by quitting smoking. If you are ready to kick the habit, call the toll-free Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 1- important for our multicul tural populations as they make up the majority of those awaiting kidney trans plants in Georgia,” said Lilly in a press release. There are over 92,000 people in the United States waiting for life-saving organ transplants. In Georgia, more than 1,800 are listed for organ transplants; 56 per cent waiting are minorities; er, and for the highest team fundraiser. Taylor suggests a minimum donation of $lO per person, but encourages everyone to help spread the word about literacy by fund raising throughout the com r\ Full Service Driver's License and Testing Center Tuesday - Saturday 9am - spm • License Renewals • Reinstatements • Testing - Automobile & Motorcycle (Reservations Suggested) • Get copies of driving history 00035849 Contact Our Call Center For More Information ]-866-7 54-3687 www.dds.ga.gov §t 450 Larry Walker Pkwy. • Perry, GA 877-270-STOP; Spanish speakers call 1-877- 2NO-FUME/TTY; and TTY: 1-877-777-6534 for the hearing-impaired. The Quit Line provides free counseling, support and referral services, as well as a resource library for Georgia tobacco users ages 13 and older. If you are not ready to quit, consider lighting up away from others so they won’t inhale harmful tobacco fumes. Together we can reduce Georgians’ expo sure to secondhand smoke and save lives. * Visit www.livehealthygeorgia.org to learn more about the Georgia Smokefree Air Act and the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line. who have agreed to donate theirs can join Life Sharers. Life Sharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. They do this through a form of directed donation that is legal in all 50 states and under federal law. Anyone can join for free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888- ORGANBB. Life Sharers has 5,147 members, including 80 members in Georgia. Over 500 of our members are minor children enrolled by their parents. and nearly two-thirds are listed for kidney transplants are African American. Life Link of Georgia, the agency which coordinates organ and tissue donations in Georgia, has speakers available for civic and com munity groups, churches, schools, corporations, etc. Speakers are trained to pro vide information and dispel myths about organ and tis munity. Followingthe run, MGTC’s Adult Literacy Program will be available during the Family Fair for anyone need ing information about the program. For more infor Georgia Department Of Driver Services SATURDAY, JULY 15, 2006 sue donation and transplan tation. Presentations are free to the public and tai lored to the specifi c, audi ence. To learn more about the Speaker’s Bureau, organ and tissue donation, or how to become a volunteer, con tact Terri Medina at (770) 225-5465 or (800) 544-6667 or visit the Web site at www. lifelinkfound.org. mation about the “Read for Your Life” 5K Relay, call 929-6796. For more information about this year’s Family Fair, call Houston Health Source at 923-9771. 5A