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About CHART Our mission To improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans and lower health care costs by reducing the incidence of disease, suffering, disability and death caused by tobacco use through public education and mobilization. Our vision CHART strives to be the vehicle to initiate and sustain policy and cultural change that will create a tobacco-free Tennessee. Our History CHART is a membership-based grassroots coalition designed to educate the public and motivate Tennesseans to make political change. The central mission of CHART is to improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans by preventing disease, disability and death caused by tobacco use. CHART is a cooperative effort of more than 50-partner organizations including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American Lung Association and the Tennessee Medical Association. For the past eight years, CHART has taken a public stand on key issues related to tobacco. The coalition helped generate vital state funds when a 7 cent increase in the state's tobacco excise tax was secured in 2002 and has since joined the Southern Neighbors Collaborative to coordinate efforts to raise tobacco taxes in seven southern states. In the 2006 Legislative Session, we saw an unprecedented 27 bills filled in the Tennessee General Assembly regarding tobacco control. We passed legislation making all state owned buildings smoke-free. CHART was integral to the passage of this legislation and the debate opened new doors to the possibility of a more comprehensive smoke free bill this session. The bill in 2006 was referred to the State and Local Committee in the house rather than the Agriculture Committee where for years our bills had gone to die. The bill had credible leadership sponsors that were taken seriously. Through CHART’s efforts, over half of House and Senate Members signed on as sponsors of the legislation and most importantly at the bill signing ceremony, Governor Phil Bredesen gave sweeping remarks that this was the first step toward more comprehensive measures. During the 2007 legislative session, CHART will continue to focus its efforts on three major tobacco control issues - to regain community rights to implement tobacco ordinances at the local level, to attain a statewide clean indoor air law and to increase the state tobacco excise tax.
During the 2007 legislative session, CHART will continue to focus its efforts on three major tobacco control issues - to regain community rights to implement tobacco ordinances at the local level, to attain a statewide clean indoor air law and to increase the state tobacco excise tax. Links to Partner Organizations
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