This Is My Story...

Project: 1200 is currently seeking video submissions from you! We want our amazing supporters and members of the community to be in our latest campaign, "My Story."

All you need to do is record a short video (30 seconds or less) completing the sentence, "I choose to...". This could be anything, like "I choose to skate," or, "I choose to sing." Just tell us what you choose to do instead of using tobacco, and what makes you, you. Then, email it to Project1200@me.com along with your name, age, and location. Please make sure you record in a well lit and quiet area. You want to be heard and seen, right?

We are accepting submissions until April 30th so that everyone can have plenty of time to not only record their video, but to spread the word as well. This is a campaign we are really excited about - to better know you, the supporters, and to educate our community about the dangers of tobacco.

Much Love - Hannah

VICTORY!!!

I have some bad news and some good news... Oh wait. Just good news. This legislative session was a success! Through effective activism on your part, the two bills we worked on this legislative session passed. They passed! That is a 100% record this session. Good job, y'all.

After a signature by the Governor, the following changes will be happening in Utah:
- HB 95: This restricts tobacco retailers to set up shop within 1,000 feet of community centers (schools, churches, parks, etc.). This will weaken Big Tobacco's efforts of drawing in youth to tobacco use at an early age, and will keep tobacco (and illegal drugs) farther away from places that youth may gather. Score.

- HB 245: This amends the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act to include hookah pipes and eCigarettes. That means hookahs and eCigs will not be allowed in any public building. And THAT means a big step in the direction of healthier and cleaner air in Utah.

Can you feel the power of your voice yet? I sure hope so. Well, as we heard in Spiderman: "With great power comes great responsibility." I think we all have a responsibility to write our legislators and thank them for supporting these bills.

Here is what to do:
1. Copy and paste THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES into your BCC line.
2. Put something like "Thank you for supporting tobacco prevention and Utah health this year!" in the subject line.
3. Write a few sentences about the victory and how thankful you are for their support.
4. Hit send!

5. *Optional, but recommended* Come to the capitol this evening to say thanks face to face! We are meeting in the rotunda at 5:30. You can get a free shirt!

Congrats again, everyone. How is that for #winning!?

House AND Senate emails.

lrobles@le.utah.gov, bmcadams@le.utah.gov, gdavis@le.utah.gov, pjones@le.utah.gov, kmayne@le.utah.gov, waddoups@le.utah.gov, rromero@le.utah.gov, kmorgan@le.utah.gov, wniederhauser@le.utah.gov, aosmond@le.utah.gov, hstephenson@le.utah.gov, dthatcher@le.utah.gov, mmadsen@le.utah.gov, jvalentine@le.utah.gov, mdayton@le.utah.gov, curt@cbramble.com, pknudson@le.utah.gov, screid@le.utah.gov, achristensen@le.utah.gov, sjenkins@le.utah.gov, jwstevenson@le.utah.gov, jsadams@le.utah.gov, tweiler@le.utah.gov, rokerlund@le.utah.gov, lhillyard@le.utah.gov, kvantassell@le.utah.gov, dhinkins@le.utah.gov, coanderson@le.utah.gov, surquhart@le.utah.gov, rmenlove@le.utah.gov, leeperry@le.utah.gov, jdraxler@le.utah.gov, dbutterfield@le.utah.gov, curtwebb@le.utah.gov, bgalvez@le.utah.gov, ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov, gfroerer@le.utah.gov, jeremyapeterson@le.utah.gov, dpitcher@le.utah.gov, bdee@le.utah.gov, rgreenwood@le.utah.gov, pray@le.utah.gov, coda@le.utah.gov, bradwilson@le.utah.gov, stevehandy@le.utah.gov, sbarlow@le.utah.gov, rogerbarrus@le.utah.gov, jimnielson@le.utah.gov, beckyedwards@le.utah.gov, dougsagers@le.utah.gov, sduckworth@le.utah.gov, jseelig@le.utah.gov, rchouck@le.utah.gov, jbriscoe@le.utah.gov, dlitvack@le.utah.gov, briansking@le.utah.gov, janicefisher@le.utah.gov, bdoughty@le.utah.gov, lwiley@le.utah.gov, fredcox@le.utah.gov, nhendrickson@le.utah.gov, janderson34@le.utah.gov, markwheatley@le.utah.gov, parent@le.utah.gov, csmoss@le.utah.gov, ehutchings@le.utah.gov, jdunnigan@le.utah.gov, lhemingway@le.utah.gov, toddkiser@le.utah.gov, jbird@le.utah.gov, wharper@le.utah.gov, tcosgrove@le.utah.gov, seliason@le.utah.gov, mariepoulson@le.utah.gov, kivory@le.utah.gov, lavarchristensen@le.utah.gov, derekbrown@le.utah.gov, merlynnnewbold@le.utah.gov, greghughes@le.utah.gov, melbrown@le.utah.gov, kraigpowell@le.utah.gov, jmathis@le.utah.gov, ksumsion@le.utah.gov, ssandstrom@le.utah.gov, jeremyapeterson@le.utah.gov, bdaw@le.utah.gov, keithgrover@le.utah.gov, cherrod@le.utah.gov, dsanpei@le.utah.gov, blockhart@le.utah.gov, fgibson@le.utah.gov, mikemorley@le.utah.gov, ppainter@le.utah.gov, billwright@le.utah.gov, cwatkins@le.utah.gov, kaymciff@le.utah.gov, blast@le.utah.gov, evickers@le.utah.gov, mnoel@kanab.net, vlsnow@le.utah.gov, dipson@le.utah.gov, dmccay@le.utah.gov, cfrank@le.utah.gov

Getting Closer...

I thought drama ended in High School. Then, I joined the political arena...

So, long story short: After an "enjoyable discussion" on the House floor, HB 245 passed on to the Senate! And if the Senate is anything like the House, we might want to do a little more educating to avoid any road blocks that may arise. Ready, set, go:

1. Copy and paste THESE EMAILS in the BCC line of your email.

2. Follow steps 2-5 from HERE. (Talking points, personal story, etc.)

It almost seems TOO easy...

Senate Emails!

Here are the emails for our beloved state Senate. Copy and paste the list into the BCC line (to avoid a long list of emails at the top of your message). Inform them that you are part of an organization (Project:1200) that represents people in their district.

***NOTE: Remove YOUR senator from the list and write a personally addressed message to him/her***

lrobles@le.utah.gov, bmcadams@le.utah.gov, gdavis@le.utah.gov, pjones@le.utah.gov, kmayne@le.utah.gov, waddoups@le.utah.gov, rromero@le.utah.gov, kmorgan@le.utah.gov, wniederhauser@le.utah.gov, aosmond@le.utah.gov, hstephenson@le.utah.gov, dthatcher@le.utah.gov, mmadsen@le.utah.gov, jvalentine@le.utah.gov, mdayton@le.utah.gov, curt@cbramble.com, pknudson@le.utah.gov, screid@le.utah.gov, achristensen@le.utah.gov, sjenkins@le.utah.gov, jwstevenson@le.utah.gov, jsadams@le.utah.gov, tweiler@le.utah.gov, rokerlund@le.utah.gov, lhillyard@le.utah.gov, kvantassell@le.utah.gov, dhinkins@le.utah.gov, coanderson@le.utah.gov, surquhart@le.utah.gov

Game On! HB245 Update

Alright folks,
HB245, the bill that includes eCigarettes and hookahs in the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA) has moved to the next stop. And it needs help moving forward!

Lets blitz the House with educational emails! Follow these simple steps:

1. Copy and paste THESE EMAIL ADDRESSES to the BCC line of your email.
2. Pick a couple talking points from the list below to share. (Feel free to add THIS IMAGE to your email to urge them to not repeat history. We have the evidence that nicotine is harmful.)
3. Share a personal story! Why is clean air important to you, your family, or community.
4. Ask them where they stand on the issue (if you hear back about this, please let us know!)
5. Send!

Easy, right? So lets do this!

(Oh, one last thing... Please send out a one lined email to THESE EMAILS [at bottom] thanking the legislators for voting yes on HB245 and passing it out of committee. Thanks!)

TALKING POINTS:

• HB245 is about protecting Utahns from involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke and other toxins in indoor public places.

• Data show that hookah and e-cigarettes have a harmful impact on health. The World Health Organization, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others all delineate the risks of use and exposure to hookah and e-cigarettes.

• HB245 does not ban hookah or e-cigarettes or any class of product. It deals only with the use of emerging products in indoor public places. People can still buy, use, and smoke products, just not where their use will expose others.

• HB245 clarifies language in line with the intent of the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA) to prevent secondhand exposure to toxins in the indoor public places that Utahns patronize every day. Without this bill, hookah and e-cigarette use will be allowed in all indoor public places from restaurants to libraries to healthcare facilities.

•  The UICAA prohibits tobacco smoke in indoor public places. It has since 1995. Further UICAA amendments passed by the legislature phased out smoking in bars and clubs in 2006 and 2007.

• The science is clear. Decades of research corroborate the fact that secondhand smoke is toxic.

•  Utahns support these protections. Preliminary data show an overwhelming majority of Utah adults support the Utah law that bans tobacco smoke in indoor public places, including restaurants and bars. More than three fourth of Utahns are in favor of banning tobacco smoke from hookah in the same locations.

• Cities, states, and countries all over the world are restricting exposure to hookah and e-cigarettes to protect health. Even India, the birthplace of hookah, has banned use in indoor public places, including use in so-called hookah bars. 

• The Indoor Clean Air Act must continue to protect Utahns from emerging products in the same way the Act has always protected the health of Utahns.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Lung Association recommend that tobacco smoke from hookahs be treated the same as smoke from other tobacco products and be prohibited in the same places.  

To learn more about these issues, read:

• http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/pdfs/shs_hookah-e-cigarette.pdf

• http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/pdfs/Hookah.pdf

• http://www.tobaccofreeutah.org/pdfs/E-Cigarette1.pdf

House Email Addresses

Here are the emails to the entire House of Representatives. Use them liberally! ;)

I will refer to this post when our bills reach the House floor. Just copy and paste the list to the BCC line (so they don't get a huge list of emails showing up at the top of the message). Make sure to write a special email to YOUR Representative specifying that you are their constituent. With the rest, that you are part of an organization - Project: 1200 - that represents people in their district.

Have fun!

rmenlove@le.utah.gov, leeperry@le.utah.gov, jdraxler@le.utah.gov,

dbutterfield@le.utah.gov, curtwebb@le.utah.gov, bgalvez@le.utah.gov,

ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov, gfroerer@le.utah.gov, jeremyapeterson@le.utah.gov,

dpitcher@le.utah.gov, bdee@le.utah.gov, rgreenwood@le.utah.gov,

pray@le.utah.gov, coda@le.utah.gov, bradwilson@le.utah.gov,

stevehandy@le.utah.gov, sbarlow@le.utah.gov, rogerbarrus@le.utah.gov,

jimnielson@le.utah.gov, beckyedwards@le.utah.gov, dougsagers@le.utah.gov,

sduckworth@le.utah.gov, jseelig@le.utah.gov, rchouck@le.utah.gov,

jbriscoe@le.utah.gov, dlitvack@le.utah.gov, briansking@le.utah.gov,

janicefisher@le.utah.gov, bdoughty@le.utah.gov, lwiley@le.utah.gov,

fredcox@le.utah.gov, nhendrickson@le.utah.gov, janderson34@le.utah.gov,

markwheatley@le.utah.gov, parent@le.utah.gov, csmoss@le.utah.gov,

ehutchings@le.utah.gov, jdunnigan@le.utah.gov, lhemingway@le.utah.gov,

toddkiser@le.utah.gov, jbird@le.utah.gov, wharper@le.utah.gov,

tcosgrove@le.utah.gov, seliason@le.utah.gov, mariepoulson@le.utah.gov,

kivory@le.utah.gov, lavarchristensen@le.utah.gov, derekbrown@le.utah.gov,

merlynnnewbold@le.utah.gov, greghughes@le.utah.gov, melbrown@le.utah.gov,

kraigpowell@le.utah.gov, jmathis@le.utah.gov, ksumsion@le.utah.gov,

ssandstrom@le.utah.gov, jeremyapeterson@le.utah.gov, bdaw@le.utah.gov,

keithgrover@le.utah.gov, cherrod@le.utah.gov, dsanpei@le.utah.gov,

blockhart@le.utah.gov, fgibson@le.utah.gov, mikemorley@le.utah.gov,

ppainter@le.utah.gov, billwright@le.utah.gov, cwatkins@le.utah.gov,

kaymciff@le.utah.gov, blast@le.utah.gov, evickers@le.utah.gov,

mnoel@kanab.net, vlsnow@le.utah.gov, dipson@le.utah.gov,

dmccay@le.utah.gov, cfrank@le.utah.gov

Planning Party

Project: 1200 is going global, and we want your help making it possible! We will be getting together for a couple hours on Feb. 4th [11:00-1:00] to brainstorm the future of Project: 1200, including the branding, mission, gear, goals, events, et. al.


Bring your friends, creativity, and brilliant ideas for an evening never to be forgot.


Oh yeah, the location: Utah Department of Health, 288 N. 1460 W., SLC, UT


See you there!

Welcome to the New Year

Happy New Year!

2012 is the year of the Dragon, which means a year of good fortune and a sign of intense power. With that being said, it is time to rev up your activist engines and get ready for a stellar legislative session! To kick off the session, a handful of activists showed up at the capitol yesterday in solidarity to support a bill that would make the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA) more comprehensive. Let me explain:

Hookahs are harmful to your health. To inhale hookah smoke means to inhale toxins that can affect the user and those around them. In fact, "secondhand smoke from hookahs pose a serious risk for nonsmokers, particularly because it contains smoke not only from the tobacco, but also from the heat source (e.g., charcoal) used in the hookah." (CDC website). 

Next we have eCigarettes. These are devices are made for getting a nicotine hit without the nasty tobacco. As of right now, if you were in an airplane and someone starts smoking an eCigarette next to you, there is nothing you can do about it (other than breathe in the nicotine vapor). Just a reminder, nicotine is the most addictive substance in the world, and a single drop of pure nicotine injected into the blood stream will kill you in 7 seconds. Needless to say, its not the best stuff to be inhaling. 

Now that we have that information, it makes sense that people have voiced their concern for allowing these products in public places, free from restriction. A legislative bill was created with a hope for safer, cleaner air for all. This is HB 245, Amendment to Definition of Smoking in Utah Indoor Clean Air Act. Lets just call it HB 245 though. It is an extremely basic amendment that simply includes hookahs and eCigarettes to the UICAA. That means you won't need to worry about someone smoking their eCigarette next to you while in line at a grocery store. That means you won't need to worry about going out with friends one evening and ending up in a room full of toxin filled air. Less worries all around!

Yesterday at the capitol, the committee put this bill on hold because they didn't feel like they had enough information to make a vote on it. This means we have an opportunity to educate them! This is what we call a CALL TO ACTION:

Email the committee and explain why you feel this bill is important to you and your community. Share a personal story if you have one, share some facts (feel free to use the ones above, or find some new ones), and urge them to send the bill to the floor (which is political jargon for  allowing all of the House of Representatives to vote on it). 

Here are the emails of the House Government Operations Committee members:

kraigpowell@le.utah.gov

bgalvez@le.utah.gov

rchouck@le.utah.gov

janicefisher@le.utah.gov

cfrank@le.utah.gov

rgreenwood@le.utah.gov

coda@le.utah.gov

leeperry@le.utah.gov

dougsagers@le.utah.gov

evickers@le.utah.gov

Stay tuned for up to date information on all things tobacco this legislative session right here on the Project: 1200 blog. Oh, and if you haven't already, make sure to like us on facebook! Strength in numbers! 

Yours in the fight,

Peter.Moosman.

Hookahs!

Did you know:

A 45 - 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount of tar and nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.

So the question comes down to this: Why are we JUST NOW having the conversation of whether they should be included in the Utah Indoor Clean Air Act (UICAA)?

We have the opportunity to tell our legislators that health is more important than profit. The Administrative Rules Review Committee is going to be discussing this very topic tomorrow afternoon, and we need to let them see where the support lies. Here's the plan:

Today:
- Email the committee members (contact info below - if you wanna be hardcore, get their numbers and call them) and let them know how important it is to include Hookahs in the UICAA (fact sheet HERE).
- Tell your friends to email as well! This can save lives and money in the state of Utah, and the more people to help out, the more likely to have a positive affect on our state.

Tomorrow:
Show up to the Utah State Capitol no later than 12:30 for the meeting at 1. It will be in room C445. If you let me know TODAY that you will be attending, we will have a pin made for you to show your support! The most important thing is to be visible support, but if you want to be ultra prepared, you can try to speak to the legislators before or after the meeting and share personal stories and testimonies.

Let me be the first to thank you for your efforts in Tobacco Prevention, and your willingness to respond to this call to action. THANK YOU!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, PLEASE don't hesitate to let me know at ProjectTwelveHundred@gmail.com

Thanks again!

Administrative Rules Review Committee
Member	E-Mail
Rep. Curtis Oda, Chair	coda@utah.gov
Sen. Howard A. Stephenson, Chair	hstephenson@utahsenate.org
Sen. Gene Davis	gdavis@utahsenate.org
Rep. Neal B. Hendrickson	nhendrickson@utah.gov
Rep. Rebecca D. Lockhart Speaker of the House	blockhart@utah.gov
Sen. Mark B. Madsen	mmadsen@utahsenate.org
Sen. Benjamin M. McAdams	bmcadams@utahsenate.org
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss	csmoss@utah.gov
Rep. Merlynn T. Newbold	merlynnnewbold@utah.gov
Sen. Michael G. Waddoups, Senate President	waddoups@utahsenate.org

HB 89 Update

Update: HB 89, the Smoking in Cars with Children bill, was lifted from committee (resurrected from the dead) and sent to the Health and Human Services (HHS) committee! This is an excellent move in the right direction. Now its your turn to take action.


It will be voted on tomorrow (Tues, March 1) in committee at around 8:00 a.m.
I know this is EXTREMELY SHORT NOTICE, but if you can write an email between now and 8, you deserve the Amazing Advocate Award. Here's what to do:
1. Copy and paste the email addresses into the BCC line. Email addresses found HERE.
2. In Subject line, put VOTE YES ON HB89 TODAY
3. In the body of the email, urge the representatives to take a stand to protect Utah's children from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke. See talking points below.
4. Urge them to vote yes!
5. Send BEFORE 8am!

Talking Points:
- Please protect children from a hotbox of toxic air the EPA considers 10x above the hazardous level of toxicity.
- This is not a personal property issue, nor is it a parent's right issue - this is a human rights issue - no individual should be forced to breathe in concentrated tobacco smoke.
- PERSONAL STORY
- You (the legislator) have the opportunity to protect children from the dangers of secondhand, thus saving Utahn's lives and money.

Sorry this is so condensed and on such short notice! I am trying to do better!

HHS Committee Emails

pray@utah.gov, evickers@utah.gov, rchouck@utah.gov, dclark@utah.gov, tcosgrove@utah.gov, bdaw@utah.gov, rmenlove@utah.gov, dsanpei@utah.gov, cwatkins@utah.gov

CALL TO ACTION! HB 170

Urgent!!

HB 170, the flavored tobacco bill is up for discussion in the Business and Labor Committee at 4p.m. today (Fri, 25 Feb, 2011), and we need to urge the committee to pass it with a favorable recommendation! So, follow the steps:

1. Copy and paste the email addresses into the BCC line. Email addresses found HERE.
2. In Subject line, put VOTE YES ON HB170 TODAY
3. In the body of the email, urge the representatives to take a stand to protect Utah's children from the harmful effects of Big Tobacco. See talking points below.
4. Urge them to vote yes again!
5. Send BEFORE 4pm!

Talking Points:
- Big Tobacco markets tobacco products to attract kids, including flavored tobacco and candy-like shapes and packaging.
- Nicotine levels in many new tobacco products are so high, that if enough is consumed by a child, can cause nicotine poisoning and/or death.
- PERSONAL STORY
- You (the legislator) has the opportunity to protect children from the manipulation from Big Tobacco, thus saving Utahn's lives and money.

GO, FIGHT, WIN!

House Business and Labor Committee Members

jdunnigan@utah.gov, dpitcher@utah.gov, jbird@utah.gov, jbiskupski@utah.gov, derekbrown@utah.gov, sduckworth@utah.gov, gfroerer@utah.gov, fgibson@utah.gov, dipson@utah.gov, toddkiser@utah.gov, blast@utah.gov, mikemorley@utah.gov, curtwebb@utah.gov, lwiley@utah.gov

It's Official!

Just got back from the mailbox. In it was a letter from the IRS. This is what they had to say:

"Dear Applicant:

We are pleased to inform you that upon review of your application for tax-exempt status we have determined that you are exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code."

In layman's terms, that means that Project: 1200 is officially a Non-Profit! Congratulations to everyone who have helped us get this far! This is YOUR success just as much as it is mine. You are awesome, and I look forward to a future of great success!

Yours in the fight,

Peter.Moosman.