From the Executive Director

I look forward to seeing many of you at our first annual conference on Oct. 20th at the Columbus Airport Marriott.  If you need directions, please visit our website.  For those of you who are unable to attend the conference, please contact Matt Fuerst at mfuerst@law.capital.edu if you would like to receive the written materials relating to a particular part of the conference agenda.

One of the conference sessions, entitled “Protecting Children from Tobacco in School and at Home,” will discuss child custody issues relating to smoking.  As overwhelming scientific evidence has developed linking secondhand smoke to a wide variety of illnesses, courts have begun to issue custody and visitation orders protecting children from secondhand smoke exposure.  In addition to chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular illness, children exposed to secondhand smoke are more likely to develop respiratory ailments including asthma.  The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 1,000,000 children a year have their asthma symptoms exacerbated by exposure to secondhand smoke.

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