The Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage is going smoke free today as part of an effort by two of Alaska's largest private employers to reduce tobacco use.

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and Southcentral Foundation have implemented a strict no-smoking policy at the medical center and at buildings across the state. The policy affects more than 3,300 employees and more than 600,000 who use the medical center.

Don Kashevaroff, the president of the health consortium, said the goal is to get employees and other Alaska Natives to quit smoking and chewing. Studies show that more than half of Alaska Native adults use tobacco, which contributes to cancer, the leading cause of death among Alaska Natives.

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Snuffed out (The Anchorage Daily News 11/16)
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