Bethpage, NY - June 9, 2015 - Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD), a leading Long Island based non-profit agency devoted to supporting the pursuit of an enviable life for children and adults with autism, learning and other developmental disabilities, is proud to announce its new smoke-free environment for its staff and the individuals they support at its main Bethpage location.
With the help of the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island (TAC), which is providing free signage, ACLD has identified its Bethpage location as a “smoke-free campus,” with the exception of a single, designated smoking area more than 50 feet away from any entrance to any of the four buildings on the site. New York State law requires facilities like those at ACLD’s Bethpage campus to prohibit smoking within 30 feet of their entranceways.
“Doing all we can to create a smoke-free environment isn’t just about following or going beyond the law,” said Robert C. Goldsmith, Executive Director of ACLD. “It’s about helping our employees and the thousands of people who visit our facilities each year to make the types of choices which contribute to longer, healthier lives.”
To further support the goal of a smoke-free environment, ACLD employees eligible for healthcare insurance benefits were recently informed that proof of completing a smoking cessation program will help qualify them for a gift certificate in recognition of steps they’ve taken toward living healthier lives.
“As one of the largest not-profit agencies on Long Island, ACLD’s efforts to create a proactive policy that goes above and beyond for their Bethpage campus sets the bar higher for others to follow suit, and sends a clear message that smoke-free environments are a ‘win-win’ for employees and visitors,” said Carol Meschkow, Nassau Coordinator for TAC. “With over 480,000 people dying each year from smoking-related illnesses, it is most commendable that ACLD is going a step further by addressing this deadly addiction within their employee wellness program.”
TAC is one of 25 Community Partnerships funded by grants from the New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Program working toward advancing tobacco-free communities. TAC works with businesses and community organizations to offer technical support and encourage the adoption of smoke-free policies. For more information on TAC please click here.
Moves in support of anti-smoking efforts have particular relevance for ACLD, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports adults with disabilities are more likely to smoke cigarettes than adults without disabilities. In New York State alone, it is estimated that while 15.6 percent of adults without disabilities are smokers, 27.7 percent of adults with disabilities use cigarettes.
For more information, contact Juliette McKenna, Director of Development and Community Relations at (516) 822-0028, ext. 206 or mckennaj@acld.org.
For information about ACLD, visit www.acld.org.
Adults and Children with Learning and Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (ACLD) was founded in 1957. The 501(c)(3), not-for-profit agency serves the needs of more than 3,000 children, teens and adults with learning disabilities, autism and other developmental disabilities, and provides support for their families. ACLD's mission is to provide opportunities for individuals with disabilities to pursue enviable lives, increase their independence and improve the quality of their lives within the community. ACLD employs more than 1,100 people and operates 77 different program sites including group homes and apartment programs across Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Service programs include early childhood services, day habilitation, residential alternatives, vocational training and job placement, recreation programs, respite, family support services, Medicaid service coordination, and medical and behavioral health services.
Pictured: From left to right are ACLD Director of Human Resources Barbara Nichols, ACLD Assistant Executive Director Robert Ciatto, Nassau Coordinator for the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island (TAC) Carol Meschkow, and ACLD Director of Development and Community Relations Juliette McKenna with one of the new signs identifying ACLD’s Bethpage location as a smoke free campus with a designated smoking area.
