Bright and early the morning of March 10, 2010, over 80 legislators joined Breathe New Hampshire staff members, Board members, and volunteers in the NH State House cafeteria at our annual Legislative Breakfast.  Each year we look forward to hosting this event that provides us the opportunity to get know our legislators better, particularly first term House and Senate members. We provide a healthy breakfast for the politicians before they begin their busy day conducting the business of the state.

This year’s event brought a first – we provided COPD screening for attendees.  Seventeen people took the simple breathing test that measure the total amount of air a person can blow out in one breath.  These measures indicate whether you have COPD.  If so, you are instructed to follow up with a Doctor.

Three members of the New Hampshire Youth Network represented the youth program at the breakfast.  They had the opportunity to meet a number of state policy makers and were interviewed by an Associated Press reporter about electronic cigarettes.  Following the breakfast, they joined other Breathe New Hampshire volunteers for a guided tour of the State House, which included sitting in on session in the House and the Senate.  They were so enthusiastic about watching the process that they plan to return to observe more in the future.

Representative Richard DiPentima, lead sponsor of HB1541, which prohibits the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors (learn more about e-cigarettes here.), won one of the five door prizes drawn at the breakfast.  He won a gift card to the Puritan Backroom Restaurant.  Other winners were Representative Carol Vita of Middleton, Representative James Devine of Sandown and Representative James Pilliod of Belmont, and Dawn Graves.

We are grateful to the Puritan Backroom and Jacques Flower Shop for contributing door prizes.  We also thank those who volunteered and helped make this event possible - Rob Azevedo, of Keene Medical Products; Board members Vincent Kanhai-Singh and Claira Monier; and Anne Duszny and Christine Hill, who conducted the COPD screening.