Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the "Freedom to Breathe Act" which bans smoking at work sites and in public places, including restaurants and bars.  Throughout the deliberations over the initiative, March of Dimes volunteers and staff focused their advocacy materials and messages on the detrimental effects of secondhand smoke on women of childbearing age, especially pregnant women, infants, and children.  The law will take effect on October 1, 2007.

Newborn Screening for Minnesota Babies

Minnesota received an award from the March of Dimes for its leadership among states in newborn screening.  In 2007, Minnesota became one of the first states to require that all newborns be screened at birth for 29 treatable metabolic and functional disorders as recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) and endorsed by the March of Dimes and the American Academy of Pediatrics.