As part of its 30th annual ""Great American Smokeout,"" the American Cancer Society honored Gov. Jim Doyle and 15 other lawmakers, doctors and leaders from Wisconsin for their continuing efforts to promote tobacco control and awareness Thursday.
In his first public appearance since celebrating his re-election, Doyle said in his acceptance speech that he would love to sign a statewide smoking ban.
""To me this is an issue of how quickly we are going to move in the clear direction that history is moving, and the quicker we can move in that direction, the more lives we're going to save, and the more kids we're going to allow to grow up in a way that they have good, strong, healthy lives,"" Doyle said.
The awards ceremony, taking place in the drawing room of the Governor's Mansion, began with the playing of an old Flintstones cartoon. A black and white Fred and Barney leaned up against their home, watching Wilma and Betty do all the chores while discussing the finer points of Winston cigarettes.
""Winston tastes good, like cigarettes should,"" Fred Flintstone sang, taking a puff from his long, black and white cigarette.
Careen Wild, director of Development at the UW Comprehensive Cancer Center said that the Flintstones cartoon illustrated how far those fighting against tobacco use have come.
""America now has more former smokers than current smokers and with per capita smoking at its lowest level since World War II, lung cancer rates are finally starting to slip,"" she said.
The American Cancer Society honored Doyle for his public fight against tobacco use. This fight began while he was attorney general of Wisconsin in 1998, when he helped prosecute a $206 billion dollar suit against tobacco companies.
Since then, Doyle signed a bill banning smoking in all state office buildings and established a ""Tobacco-free Wisconsin"" campaign. The campaign aims to prevent young smokers from starting and to convince current smokers to quit.
Other lawmakers, including Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, were honored for similar efforts, including Madison's smoking ban, enacted in the summer of 2005, to combat smoking. Milwaukee Ald. Joe Davis was honored for his efforts to pass legislation banning smoking in all public places in Milwaukee.
""We want to make sure that we move forward to promote the health of everybody to give the new generation the opportunity to grow up with some hope,"" Davis said.
