Press Release

Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders to give keynote address April 26 at Town Hall Meeting

Meeting will address health affects of secondhand smoke

Columbia, Mo. (May 8, 2006) - Former U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Joycelyn Elders will give the keynote address at a town hall meeting and panel discussion on the effects of secondhand smoke. The meeting will take place on May 18th at 6 p.m. in Senior Hall on the Stephen's College Campus, 100 Waugh Street, Columbia, Missouri.

Along with Dr. Elders, invited panelists include:

• Sally Reeves, American Lung Association
• Ken Applegate, Owner of Jack's Gourmet
• Dr. Mark Vellek, Missouri Cancer Associates
• Dr. Ted Groshong, Associate Professor and Chair of Child Health at MU
• David Dale, MU Graduate Student

Following the keynote address, Dr. Elders and the other panelists will hold a Q&A session with the audience to discuss the negative health effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke and how to effectively address these problems.

The event is free and open to the public with seating on a first-come first-serve basis. The event is sponsored by the Campus-Community Alliances for Smoke-Free Environments (CASE) in conjunction with Smoke-Free Air for Everyone (SAFE) and Peers Advocating Smoke-free Solutions (PASS).

Dr. Elders received her M.D. from the University of Arkansas in 1960. She became a full professor in 1976 at the University of Arkansas Medical Center. In 1987, then Governor Bill Clinton appointed her as Director of the Arkansas Department of Health. In 1992, she was elected President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officers. A year later, Dr. Elders became the first African American and second woman to be appointed as the U.S. Surgeon General. She retired as a practicing physician in 1999, but remains active in civic affairs, testifying at congressional hearings on such issues as health insurance and preventative medicine.