Clean Air Celebration at the Zoo
City: Alamogordo Hosted By: Otero Tobacco Education Coalition
There were big smiles on the faces of all the crocodiles, lots of laughs for the giraffes….and the people were having a good time, too. It was Breathe Deep Day at the Zoo, sponsored by the Otero Tobacco Education Coalition (OTEC) on Friday evening, June 15th. Alamogordo Mayor Don Carroll issued a proclamation declaring June 15th as Breathe Deep Day in recognition of the Dee Johnson Clean Indoor Air Act, which took effect that day.
No party in Alamogordo (or anywhere in NM, for that matter) is complete without some excellent food, and OTEC provided a free BBQ dinner for the attendees at the zoo celebration. About 200 people, including many local health organizations and the local police community relations team, were there to help celebrate the occasion and join in all the activities, including hula hoop and bubble blowing contests and a jump house for the kids.
"I am just so proud of this community for the help and support it has given to all our efforts in getting clean air for all the workers and families in Alamogordo - and everywhere in the state. We've got family and friends all over and it's nice to know no matter where we go we can breathe easy," said Eddie Reeves, a long-time OTEC member. "I have a whole new list of places I can go that I couldn't go before without fear of having an asthma attack."
"I would like to say thank you to Representatives Gloria Vaughn and Nate Cote, Senators Vernon Asbill and Tim Jennings, and Governor Bill Richardson for having the foresight to perceive secondhand smoke as a serious health issue," stated OTEC President Allen Stenger. "I'm also really grateful to all the OTEC members for their hard work in helping people understand the health hazards of secondhand smoke."
The Otero Tobacco Education Coalition is continuing to work with local businesses and enforcement officials to ensure that implementation of the smoke-free law goes smoothly. For more information on how you can get involved, email or visit http://www.oterotobacco.org.
No party in Alamogordo (or anywhere in NM, for that matter) is complete without some excellent food, and OTEC provided a free BBQ dinner for the attendees at the zoo celebration. About 200 people, including many local health organizations and the local police community relations team, were there to help celebrate the occasion and join in all the activities, including hula hoop and bubble blowing contests and a jump house for the kids.
"I am just so proud of this community for the help and support it has given to all our efforts in getting clean air for all the workers and families in Alamogordo - and everywhere in the state. We've got family and friends all over and it's nice to know no matter where we go we can breathe easy," said Eddie Reeves, a long-time OTEC member. "I have a whole new list of places I can go that I couldn't go before without fear of having an asthma attack."
"I would like to say thank you to Representatives Gloria Vaughn and Nate Cote, Senators Vernon Asbill and Tim Jennings, and Governor Bill Richardson for having the foresight to perceive secondhand smoke as a serious health issue," stated OTEC President Allen Stenger. "I'm also really grateful to all the OTEC members for their hard work in helping people understand the health hazards of secondhand smoke."
The Otero Tobacco Education Coalition is continuing to work with local businesses and enforcement officials to ensure that implementation of the smoke-free law goes smoothly. For more information on how you can get involved, email or visit http://www.oterotobacco.org.
