Illinois State House District 45 issued the following announcement on Jan. 29.

State Rep. Diane Pappas, D-Itasca, received the “Lung Health Leader” award from the Respiratory Health Association for her role in increasing the legal tobacco purchasing age to 21 while expanding access to high-quality healthcare for all Illinoisans.

“Ensuring everyone in our community is safe and healthy is always my first priority,” Pappas said. “Whether that means advocating for low-cost prescriptions, expanding insurance coverage for lifesaving mammograms or combatting the influence of harmful tobacco carcinogens on our children, I’m committed to a healthier future for all Illinoisans.”

As part of her continued focus on improving Illinois health care, especially for children and young adults, Pappas helped pass Illinois’ new Tobacco 21 law, which raise the legal age for tobacco purchases to 21. Pappas received the “Lung Health Leader” award from the Respiratory Health Association as a result of her work.

Original source can be found here.