Westin Hotels & Resorts Go Smoke-Free

The American Lung Association has honored Westin Hotels & Resorts for going smoke-free.

On Feb. 21st the organization presented the company with a Lung Champion award recognizing the smoke-free environment that's being created for its guests and employees.

Comprehensive state level smoke-free air laws have become more acceptable in the past few years banning smoking in public workplaces including restaurants and bars.

Other past Lung Champion awardees include "The Dr. Phil Show" for their segment on quitting smoking and "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" for working with families facing serious medical conditions to improve their home's indoor air quality.

"Very very few guests request smoking rooms," said one hotel manager. "Smoking rooms are harder to clean also."

Westin Hotels & Resorts®, with 121 hotels and resorts in 31 countries and territories, is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

The Association also just released its 2006 Flu & Pneumonia Trends Report stating that pneumonia and influenza are significant causes of morbidity and mortality. According to the report pneumonia consistently accounts for the overwhelming majority of deaths and the number of deaths due to pneumonia and the flu has been higher among females since the mid-1980s.

In 2002 blacks were 26 percent more likely to die from pneumonia and influenza than whites. For the 65 and over population pneumonia and influenza are the fifth leading cause of death. Very few deaths are attributed to influenza in the population under age 55.

Annual data on the incidence of pneumonia, influenza, and other acute respiratory infections had been collected by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), a multi-purpose health survey on the health of the civilian, noninstitutionalized household population of the U.S. from 1982 to1996. Incidence rates for acute respiratory conditions were highest in people under age five. The overall flu incidence rate in 1996 in whites was 37.3 per 100 persons compared to 28.1 per 100 persons among blacks.