HealthScaping NW Spokesperson for Gun Safety at Flash Mob

Coverage from the Oregonian on Portland’s Art=Ammo Flash Mob for Gun Safety

Kylie Menagh-Johnson, MPH, Principal, HealthScaping NorthWest, serves as Spokesperson for the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence

Read the story and watch the video below:

Downtown Portland flash mob takes aim at gun violence awareness

May 23, 2013, Written by Everton Bailey, Video by Motoya Nakamura

A crowd of about 30 people staged a flash mob in downtown Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square to bring attention to the effects of gun violence Thursday.

The event, called Art=Ammo, began about noon and saw some participants raise their hands, then fall to the ground to simulate being wounded, said Kylie Menagh-Johnson, a spokeswoman for Oregon Alliance to Prevent Gun Violence.

Other demonstrators then drew chalk outlines around those on the ground and wrote statistics on gun violence in near the drawings.

Similar demonstrations are planned for New Haven, Conn., San Francisco, Westchester, N.Y. and Minneapolis, according to Art=Ammo’s website.

“We want Oregonians to know that we have the opportunity to demand stronger gun safety legislation,” Menagh-Johnson said. “Universal background checks for example are a great way to keep guns away from people who should not have them.”

She added that the group hopes to urge state legislators to reform gun control laws including required background checks on private and online gun sales allowing school districts to decide whether to arm teachers and other staff.

HealthScaping at Work: Going Tobacco-Free

More and more businesses are ‘going smokefree’ or even entirely tobacco-free on their grounds and facilities.

Why?

Because it makes good business sense!

Going tobacco-free is popular with employees and clients… and health insurers.

If your employees and clients are like most Oregonians, they know that secondhand smoke is a health hazard and want to avoid it.

Most tobacco-users want to quit, and, along with good tobacco cessation benefits, a tobacco-free campus helps them quit and stay quit.

Walk the Talk

Oregon’s Smokefree Workplace Law already prohibits smoking inside most workplaces and within 10 feet of doors, windows that open, accessibility ramps, and air intake vents.

Many area employers, including Ashforth, OHSU, and Boeing, take it to the next level and go entirely smokefree outdoors at their workplace.  Some prohibit tobacco use of all kinds.

HealthScaping NorthWest can walk your business through the steps of adopting a policy.

Healthy Benefits

Tobacco use is a leading driver of healthcare costs and sick days.  Tobacco cessation benefits are considered the ‘gold standard’ in Return on Investment in healthcare.

Estimate your Return on Investment with the ROI calculator at America’s Health Insurance Plans: www.businesscaseroi.org.

Go for gold: Choose a tobacco cessation benefit package that includes:

• Counseling
• Medication (prescription & over-the-counter)
• Coverage for at least two quit attempts a year
• Low or no co-payments
• No prior authorization or program enrollment to access medications

Promote your tobacco cessation benefits to employees in newsletters, meetings, and new hire information.

Promote the Free Oregon Tobacco Quit Line

The Bottom Line

Tobacco use is expensive.

It is the leading cause of disease and death in Oregon: 7000 deaths a year.

7000

As the underlying factor in most cancers and heart disease, it is driving health care costs higher and higher.

A tobacco-free wellness campaign may be the most important thing you can do to improve employees’ health and productivity while reducing health care costs. 

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