Lisa Archibald | Vista Community Clinic
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA [February 17, 2020] – Just 30 minutes of exposure to secondhand smoke increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, even for healthy people. The cardiac effects of secondhand smoke are especially deadly for the one in four San Marcos residents who already have heart disease, breathing problems or diabetes. To celebrate American Heart Month, Vista Community Clinic is offering a new online “Guide to Smoke-Free Outdoor Dining in San Marcos” which lists restaurants that offer smoke-free air and a healthier dining experience.
“A while back I went to a restaurant in San Marcos and while I was eating outside, the guy next to me started smoking. I ended up feeling short of breath and going to the hospital as a result, and my whole family was panicked,” said San Marcos resident Ayana Ford. “It’s so important for all of us to be protected by smoke-free policies.”
San Marcos residents and visitors can show their hearts some extra love by accessing the free guide at http://northcoastalpreventioncoalition.org/programs/tc/sfod/guide/ and are urged to express their heartfelt thanks to the 60 restaurants that are already smoke-free.
“About half of San Marcos restaurants with outdoor dining areas are smoke-free, and we commend them for protecting the health of their customers and employees,” said Jennifer Gill, Program Supervisor, Vista Community Clinic.
“But everyone deserves these life-saving protections, so we are asking city leaders to act and are inviting community members to join us in this important effort”.
Restaurants and community members can contact Jennifer Gill at Jennifer.Gill@vcc.org or 760.631.5000 x 1001 for more information.
About VCC
With eight state-of-the-art locations in North San Diego, Orange and Riverside Counties, VCC provides affordable, high quality health care to more than 69,000 community residents. Services offered by VCC include primary care, pediatrics, prenatal and women’s health, optometry, chiropractic care, dental health, podiatry, acupuncture and behavioral health services. VCC also offers a wide array of community health education programs which are free and open to all community residents. VCC is recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as a Level 3 (highest) Patient-Centered Medical Home, and is the recipient of the HRSA National Quality Leader Seal for exceeding national clinical quality benchmarks. For more information call 760.631.5000 or visit www.vcc.org.
