Letter of the Week: Keep the air clear in Kansas

Over the last five years, Kansans have not had to worry about being exposed to the dangerous chemicals found in secondhand smoke. That’s because the Kansas Clean Indoor Air Act has been in effect.

Our smoke-free law prohibits smoking inside any public workplace, including restaurants and bars.

We know that Kansans are healthier and breathing easier thanks to this law. It’s no wonder 86 percent of Kansans polled in 2013 said they favor the Clean Indoor Air Act. But to keep Kansas smoke-free, our state legislators need to know that you are part of that majority.

Exposure to secondhand smoke causes many of the same diseases as active smoking, including heart disease, stroke and cancer. Let’s continue saving lives by prohibiting smoking in all indoor public places. All of us in the Sunflower State deserve the right to breathe clean indoor air.

Jim Miksch of Prairie Village retired from Sprint and is active in the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. He is a 15-year survivor of prostate cancer, and his wife, Barbara, was diagnosed this year with bladder cancer. The couple has two sons and a granddaughter.

This story was originally published August 9, 2015 at 9:00 AM with the headline "Letter of the Week: Keep the air clear in Kansas."