Maternal cigarette smoking in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of congenital heart defects, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defects, contributing to approximately 30 percent of infant deaths from birth defects annually.
The study found an association between tobacco exposure and certain types of defects such as those that obstruct the flow of blood from the right side of the heart into the lungs (right ventricular outflow tract obstructions) and openings between the upper chambers of the heart (atrial septal defects). The study is in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
"Women who smoke and are thinking about becoming pregnant need to quit smoking and, if they're already pregnant, they need to stop," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Quitting is the single most important thing a woman can do to improve her health as well as the health of her baby."
Based on the findings of this and other studies, eliminating smoking before or very early in pregnancy could prevent as many as 100 cases of right ventricular outflow tract obstructions and 700 cases of atrial septal defects each year in the United States. For atrial septal defects alone, that could potentially save $16 million in hospital costs.
"Successfully stopping smoking during pregnancy also lowers the chances of pregnancy complications such as preterm delivery and that an infant will have other complications such as low birth weight," said Adolfo Correa, M.D., Ph.D., medical officer in CDC′s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.
The findings from the study, "Maternal Smoking and Congenital Heart Defects in the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study," are based on a large population-based case-control study of congenital heart defects conducted in the United States; 2,525 case and 3,435 control infants born from 1981 to 1989 were included in this analysis.
Congenital heart defects are conditions present at birth that decrease the ability of the heart to work well, which can result in an increased likelihood of death or long-term disabilities. They affect nearly 40,000 infants in the United States every year.
It is estimated that right ventricular outflow tract obstructions affect approximately 2,500 infants per year and atrial septal defects affect approximately 5,600 infants per year in the United States. In 2004, U.S. hospital costs for all congenital heart defects were estimated at approximately $1.4 billion.
Source: PRNewswire
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Showing posts with label tobacco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tobacco. Show all posts
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
New Report: States Slash Funding for Tobacco Prevention Programs to Lowest Level Since Tobacco Settlement
/PRNewswire-/ -- The states have slashed funding for programs to reduce tobacco use to the lowest level since 1999, when they first received tobacco settlement funds, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
The states this year (Fiscal Year 2011) will collect $25.3 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only two percent of it – $517.9 million – on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The states have cut funding for such programs by nine percent ($51.4 million) in the past year and by 28 percent ($199.3 million) in the past three years.
With the U.S. adult smoking rate stalled at 20.6 percent after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress against tobacco use – the nation's number one cause of preventable death – is at risk unless states increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The report also calls on states to increase tobacco taxes and, for states that have yet to do so, to enact strong smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces, restaurants and bars.
The report further calls on the federal government to robustly fund and implement the national tobacco prevention strategy unveiled last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including launching a national media campaign to discourage kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.
The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 12 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements – estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years – to fight tobacco use.
"We know how to win the fight against tobacco, but we will not win it unless elected officials at all levels step up efforts to implement proven solutions," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their budgetary challenges, the states are collecting huge sums from the tobacco industry and should be spending more of it to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. Tobacco prevention is a smart investment for the states that saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."
Other findings of this year's report include:
* Most states are falling far short of meeting recommended funding levels for tobacco prevention programs set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $517.9 million the states have budgeted amounts to just 14 percent of the $3.7 billion the CDC recommends for all the states combined.
* Counting both state funds and federal grants, only two states – Alaska and North Dakota – currently fund tobacco prevention programs at CDC-recommended levels. Only five other states provide even half the recommended funding, while 33 states and DC provide less than a quarter. Three states – Nevada, New Hampshire and Ohio – provide zero state funds for tobacco prevention this year.
* Tobacco companies spend nearly $25 to market tobacco products for every $1 the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8 billion a year on marketing.
* Federal grants, most of them temporary, have helped to cushion the impact of funding cuts in some states. In the past year, the federal government has provided $261.6 million in state and community grants specifically dedicated to reducing tobacco use (the grants are spread over three fiscal years, so not all the money will be spent in fiscal 2011).
The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC recently reported that the adult smoking rate in 2009 was 20.6 percent – essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 46 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 19.5 percent still smoke.
"We know that much of what helps us live longer, healthier lives happens outside the doctor's office," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "With progress on smoking rates stalled, it's more important than ever for states to focus on community prevention programs and policies that work – like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces and adequate funding to prevent kids from starting and to help smokers quit."
"For every step forward in curbing tobacco use among Americans, many states have taken two steps backwards," said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. "The public health community is appalled at the lack of commitment among a vast majority of states to adequately fund comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs with the settlement dollars. As tobacco companies devise new tactics to increase smoking rates among children and adults, it's more important than ever to protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco use and give smokers the necessary tools to reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke and other smoking-related illnesses."
"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "Given the record low amount that states are allocating to these important programs, they simply must do a better job at properly allocating funding that helps reduce tobacco use and protects the health of children, 4,100 of whom try their first cigarette every day."
"States have a responsibility to prevent people from starting to smoke and to ensure that all smokers have easy access to cessation treatments and services as the human and financial toll of tobacco continues to rise," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Preventing kids from smoking and helping smokers quit saves lives and money."
Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke kill more than 400,000 people in the United States each year and cost the nation more than $96 billion in health care bills. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers – one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.
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The states this year (Fiscal Year 2011) will collect $25.3 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only two percent of it – $517.9 million – on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The states have cut funding for such programs by nine percent ($51.4 million) in the past year and by 28 percent ($199.3 million) in the past three years.
With the U.S. adult smoking rate stalled at 20.6 percent after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress against tobacco use – the nation's number one cause of preventable death – is at risk unless states increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The report also calls on states to increase tobacco taxes and, for states that have yet to do so, to enact strong smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces, restaurants and bars.
The report further calls on the federal government to robustly fund and implement the national tobacco prevention strategy unveiled last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including launching a national media campaign to discourage kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.
The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 12 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements – estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years – to fight tobacco use.
"We know how to win the fight against tobacco, but we will not win it unless elected officials at all levels step up efforts to implement proven solutions," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their budgetary challenges, the states are collecting huge sums from the tobacco industry and should be spending more of it to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. Tobacco prevention is a smart investment for the states that saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."
Other findings of this year's report include:
* Most states are falling far short of meeting recommended funding levels for tobacco prevention programs set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $517.9 million the states have budgeted amounts to just 14 percent of the $3.7 billion the CDC recommends for all the states combined.
* Counting both state funds and federal grants, only two states – Alaska and North Dakota – currently fund tobacco prevention programs at CDC-recommended levels. Only five other states provide even half the recommended funding, while 33 states and DC provide less than a quarter. Three states – Nevada, New Hampshire and Ohio – provide zero state funds for tobacco prevention this year.
* Tobacco companies spend nearly $25 to market tobacco products for every $1 the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8 billion a year on marketing.
* Federal grants, most of them temporary, have helped to cushion the impact of funding cuts in some states. In the past year, the federal government has provided $261.6 million in state and community grants specifically dedicated to reducing tobacco use (the grants are spread over three fiscal years, so not all the money will be spent in fiscal 2011).
The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC recently reported that the adult smoking rate in 2009 was 20.6 percent – essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 46 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 19.5 percent still smoke.
"We know that much of what helps us live longer, healthier lives happens outside the doctor's office," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "With progress on smoking rates stalled, it's more important than ever for states to focus on community prevention programs and policies that work – like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces and adequate funding to prevent kids from starting and to help smokers quit."
"For every step forward in curbing tobacco use among Americans, many states have taken two steps backwards," said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. "The public health community is appalled at the lack of commitment among a vast majority of states to adequately fund comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs with the settlement dollars. As tobacco companies devise new tactics to increase smoking rates among children and adults, it's more important than ever to protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco use and give smokers the necessary tools to reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke and other smoking-related illnesses."
"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "Given the record low amount that states are allocating to these important programs, they simply must do a better job at properly allocating funding that helps reduce tobacco use and protects the health of children, 4,100 of whom try their first cigarette every day."
"States have a responsibility to prevent people from starting to smoke and to ensure that all smokers have easy access to cessation treatments and services as the human and financial toll of tobacco continues to rise," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Preventing kids from smoking and helping smokers quit saves lives and money."
Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke kill more than 400,000 people in the United States each year and cost the nation more than $96 billion in health care bills. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers – one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.
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Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Health Risks of Smokeless Tobacco Use Deserve Congressional Attention, Advocates Say
/PRNewswire/ -- Oral Health America (OHA) participated in a congressional hearing today on the use of smokeless tobacco by young people, the effects it has on oral health, and the impact of its use by professional baseball players. The hearing, "Smokeless Tobacco: Impact on the Health of our Nation's Youth and Use in Major League Baseball," was held by Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). Speakers included OHA's former NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program) Chairman, Joe Garagiola, and Gruen Von Behrens, an oral cancer survivor and member of the NSTEP speaker's bureau.
"I wish to thank the Committee for bringing this important, but overlooked health issue to the table. Smokeless tobacco is not harmless," Mr. Von Behrens said at the hearing. "It has ruined my life."
Mr. Von Behrens first started using smokeless tobacco at the age of 13 to fit in with his peers. As a high school baseball star at the age of 17, he was diagnosed with cancer and has since undergone 34 surgeries in the past 15 years. He now travels throughout the country and has shared his story with over 2 million young people and collegiate and professional athletes.
OHA established the NSTEP program in 1994 to reduce the use of spit tobacco and help break baseball's association with it. NSTEP reaches up to 325,000 Little League players every year with its relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball and its presence at the Little League World Series each August.
"We applaud the committee's attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country," said Beth Truett, President and CEO, Oral Health America.
Oral Health America's mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
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"I wish to thank the Committee for bringing this important, but overlooked health issue to the table. Smokeless tobacco is not harmless," Mr. Von Behrens said at the hearing. "It has ruined my life."
Mr. Von Behrens first started using smokeless tobacco at the age of 13 to fit in with his peers. As a high school baseball star at the age of 17, he was diagnosed with cancer and has since undergone 34 surgeries in the past 15 years. He now travels throughout the country and has shared his story with over 2 million young people and collegiate and professional athletes.
OHA established the NSTEP program in 1994 to reduce the use of spit tobacco and help break baseball's association with it. NSTEP reaches up to 325,000 Little League players every year with its relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball and its presence at the Little League World Series each August.
"We applaud the committee's attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country," said Beth Truett, President and CEO, Oral Health America.
Oral Health America's mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.
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Thursday, March 18, 2010
FDA Issues Final Rule Restricting Access and Marketing of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Products to Youth
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule containing a
broad set of federal requirements designed to significantly curb access
to and the appeal of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to
children and adolescents in the United States. Published March 19, 2010,
the new rule becomes effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and
effect of law.
Titled Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes
and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents, the new rule
restricts the sale, distribution, and promotion of these products to
make them less accessible and less attractive to kids. Among other
things, the rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to people younger than 18, prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with
less than 20 cigarettes, prohibits distribution of free samples of
cigarettes, restricts distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco,
and prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical or
other social or cultural events. The entire rule can be found at
www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco.
"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives,
lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other
tobacco-related illness," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Today,
we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children
from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from
tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier
America."
"Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and
1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Many of these kids will become
addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will
ultimately die too young. This is an avoidable personal tragedy for
those kids and their families as well as a preventable public health
disaster for our country," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D. "Putting these restrictions in place is necessary to protect the
health of those we care most about: our children."
Enforcement of the new rule will begin once it becomes effective on June
22, 2010. FDA will work closely with States and Territories to ensure
that retailers comply with the rule. FDA will also work with the retail
community over the coming months to educate them about the new
requirements and assist them in understanding how to comply with them
and help protect our children and adolescents from these addictive
products.
Manufacturers and retailers who do not comply with the rule may be
subject to enforcement action.
The rule was originally crafted in the 1990s by the Food and Drug
Administration. After being set aside by the Supreme Court, it was
included as a key provision of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act.
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broad set of federal requirements designed to significantly curb access
to and the appeal of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to
children and adolescents in the United States. Published March 19, 2010,
the new rule becomes effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and
effect of law.
Titled Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes
and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents, the new rule
restricts the sale, distribution, and promotion of these products to
make them less accessible and less attractive to kids. Among other
things, the rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to people younger than 18, prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with
less than 20 cigarettes, prohibits distribution of free samples of
cigarettes, restricts distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco,
and prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical or
other social or cultural events. The entire rule can be found at
www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco.
"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives,
lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other
tobacco-related illness," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Today,
we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children
from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from
tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier
America."
"Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and
1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Many of these kids will become
addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will
ultimately die too young. This is an avoidable personal tragedy for
those kids and their families as well as a preventable public health
disaster for our country," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D. "Putting these restrictions in place is necessary to protect the
health of those we care most about: our children."
Enforcement of the new rule will begin once it becomes effective on June
22, 2010. FDA will work closely with States and Territories to ensure
that retailers comply with the rule. FDA will also work with the retail
community over the coming months to educate them about the new
requirements and assist them in understanding how to comply with them
and help protect our children and adolescents from these addictive
products.
Manufacturers and retailers who do not comply with the rule may be
subject to enforcement action.
The rule was originally crafted in the 1990s by the Food and Drug
Administration. After being set aside by the Supreme Court, it was
included as a key provision of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act.
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Saturday, March 13, 2010
Electronic Cigarettes Are Tobacco Products, States AAPHP
/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Public Health Physicians submitted a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration on February 23rd in response to their official stance concerning electronic cigarettes. They cite many concerns, including legal, ethical, epidemiological, medical, and the impact on public health the products could have in the future.
The AAPHP's recent petition dealt with their request that the FDA reclassify the products from a "drug-device combination" to a "tobacco product." They are currently urging all supporters of electronic cigarettes to leave the FDA comments on the docket for their petition so the will of the people may be made known . The AAPHP believes in and promotes harm reduction, unlike other mainstream health organizations who reject the concept.
According to the AAPHP, all tobacco products are "nicotine delivery devices" and that the largest portion of illness and death from conventional cigarettes is due to the products of the combusted tobacco, not the chemicals and other substances found in tobacco cigarettes. The carcinogens are not what cause the majority of the health problems; the smoke causes it when it is inhaled deeply into the lungs and held there.
"E-cigarettes, more than any other tobacco or tobacco-related product, satisfies both the habituation and nicotine addiction," says the organization in their petition. They state that they believe that many smokers struggle with a second addiction to smoking, which is the habit of carrying a pack of cigarettes and lighter, holding the cigarette when it is lit, and the act of smoking it. It is said in their report that there is a significant number of electronic cigarette users who have been successful in switching over to e-cigarette liquid which contains no nicotine while they continue to perform the ritual of "smoking."
Continuing on through the petition, they state that electronic cigarettes, unlike conventional cigarettes, produce no sidestream smoke; that is, smoke that is emitted from a cigarette when it is not being puffed on. The fact that electronic cigarettes also have no combustion is mentioned again, this time in reference to the amount of property damage done every year due to fires caused by lit cigarettes.
The AAPHP states that classifying electronic cigarettes as tobacco products would enable the FDA to impose manufacturing quality regulations, much in the same way pharmaceutical companies are expected to produce their products.
"Objections to FDA approval of e-cigarettes as tobacco products are speculative and largely based on misinformation," states the petition.
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The AAPHP's recent petition dealt with their request that the FDA reclassify the products from a "drug-device combination" to a "tobacco product." They are currently urging all supporters of electronic cigarettes to leave the FDA comments on the docket for their petition so the will of the people may be made known . The AAPHP believes in and promotes harm reduction, unlike other mainstream health organizations who reject the concept.
According to the AAPHP, all tobacco products are "nicotine delivery devices" and that the largest portion of illness and death from conventional cigarettes is due to the products of the combusted tobacco, not the chemicals and other substances found in tobacco cigarettes. The carcinogens are not what cause the majority of the health problems; the smoke causes it when it is inhaled deeply into the lungs and held there.
"E-cigarettes, more than any other tobacco or tobacco-related product, satisfies both the habituation and nicotine addiction," says the organization in their petition. They state that they believe that many smokers struggle with a second addiction to smoking, which is the habit of carrying a pack of cigarettes and lighter, holding the cigarette when it is lit, and the act of smoking it. It is said in their report that there is a significant number of electronic cigarette users who have been successful in switching over to e-cigarette liquid which contains no nicotine while they continue to perform the ritual of "smoking."
Continuing on through the petition, they state that electronic cigarettes, unlike conventional cigarettes, produce no sidestream smoke; that is, smoke that is emitted from a cigarette when it is not being puffed on. The fact that electronic cigarettes also have no combustion is mentioned again, this time in reference to the amount of property damage done every year due to fires caused by lit cigarettes.
The AAPHP states that classifying electronic cigarettes as tobacco products would enable the FDA to impose manufacturing quality regulations, much in the same way pharmaceutical companies are expected to produce their products.
"Objections to FDA approval of e-cigarettes as tobacco products are speculative and largely based on misinformation," states the petition.
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Monday, December 14, 2009
Fewer Teens Smoking, But More Teens Chewing Tobacco
/PRNewswire/ -- New data announced in today's Monitoring the Future study shows that while teen smoking rates are continuing their slow decline, an old threat has once again emerged - the use of smokeless tobacco. The study found that among 8th, 10th and 12th graders - all groups surveyed each year by the study - teen smoking rates among 8th and 12th graders continued to trend downward, while daily smoking amongst 10th graders crept upwards (5.9% in 2008 to 6.3% in 2009). Perhaps more concerning is the slight increase in daily smokeless tobacco use amongst 10th graders (now up to 1.9% in 2009 from 1.4 in 2008) and 12th graders (now 2.9 in 2009 up from 2.7 in 2008). Public health experts had predicted this increase in response to the tobacco industry's wide-ranging and aggressively marketed smokeless products now widely available.
The report, now in its 35th year, is the most respected source for data about youth smoking. In light of the findings in today's report, more needs to be done to reduce tobacco consumption writ large among the nation's youth. Also reported in today's announcement:
-- The perceived risk of using smokeless tobacco products has decreased
in all grades as has disapproval of smokeless products amongst 8th and
10th graders - a troubling trend indicating teens are not aware of the
harm smokeless products can cause and that they are a viable
alternative to cigarette smoking.
-- Teens prefer to date peers who do not smoke - 81.3% in 8th grade,
79.9% in 10th grade and 74.9% in 12th grade. This indicates that
social norms surrounding smoking continue to shift.
Legacy, the national public health foundation devoted to keeping young people from smoking and helping all smokers quit, has been committed to finding new ways to reach and engage with the teen audience, with the ultimate goal of reducing youth smoking prevalence. This is especially important as the tobacco industry continues to successfully market its products and addict new smokers.
The public health community, doctors and parents must work together to foster a continued rate of decline. The Master Settlement Agreement reached in 1998 between attorneys general from 46 states, five US territories and the tobacco industry provided our country with a unique opportunity - and with focused funding -- to address youth smoking and help smokers who want to quit.
About eighty percent of all smokers have their first cigarette before age 18(1), and every day 1,500 youth become daily smokers(2). These daily smokers will continue down a path of tobacco-related diseases and will incur higher healthcare costs than nonsmoking Americans. Funding youth smoking-prevention efforts could prevent these ill effects.
On heels of today's study release, the "Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later" report released last week by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and other leading public health groups, found that despite two sources of revenue -- funding provided through the Master Settlement Agreement and funding from taxes placed on tobacco -- states are spending just 2.3 percent of revenue from tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
The Monitoring the Future study has concluded that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.
The foundation's truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign is a national effort that delivers facts and messages to teens about tobacco, but avoids giving directive statements telling youths not to smoke. Research has indicated that in the first four years of the campaign, 18 percent of the overall decline in youth smoking was directly attributable to truth(R). As the only organization directing a national media campaign for youth smoking prevention - other than the tobacco industry - it is critical that funding continues to grow for efforts like the truth(R) campaign and state-specific smoking prevention campaigns.
Legacy(SM) is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps Americans live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation's programs include truth(R), a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX(R), an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.legacyforhealth.org
(1) Mowery PD, Brick PD, Farrelly MC. Legacy First Look Report 3. Pathways to Established Smoking: Results from the 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Washington DC: American Legacy Foundation. October 2000.
(2) MMWR. 1998. Decline Selected Cigarette Smoking Initiation and Quitting Behaviors Among High School Students. 47(19):386-389.
The report, now in its 35th year, is the most respected source for data about youth smoking. In light of the findings in today's report, more needs to be done to reduce tobacco consumption writ large among the nation's youth. Also reported in today's announcement:
-- The perceived risk of using smokeless tobacco products has decreased
in all grades as has disapproval of smokeless products amongst 8th and
10th graders - a troubling trend indicating teens are not aware of the
harm smokeless products can cause and that they are a viable
alternative to cigarette smoking.
-- Teens prefer to date peers who do not smoke - 81.3% in 8th grade,
79.9% in 10th grade and 74.9% in 12th grade. This indicates that
social norms surrounding smoking continue to shift.
Legacy, the national public health foundation devoted to keeping young people from smoking and helping all smokers quit, has been committed to finding new ways to reach and engage with the teen audience, with the ultimate goal of reducing youth smoking prevalence. This is especially important as the tobacco industry continues to successfully market its products and addict new smokers.
The public health community, doctors and parents must work together to foster a continued rate of decline. The Master Settlement Agreement reached in 1998 between attorneys general from 46 states, five US territories and the tobacco industry provided our country with a unique opportunity - and with focused funding -- to address youth smoking and help smokers who want to quit.
About eighty percent of all smokers have their first cigarette before age 18(1), and every day 1,500 youth become daily smokers(2). These daily smokers will continue down a path of tobacco-related diseases and will incur higher healthcare costs than nonsmoking Americans. Funding youth smoking-prevention efforts could prevent these ill effects.
On heels of today's study release, the "Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later" report released last week by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids and other leading public health groups, found that despite two sources of revenue -- funding provided through the Master Settlement Agreement and funding from taxes placed on tobacco -- states are spending just 2.3 percent of revenue from tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
The Monitoring the Future study has concluded that mass media campaigns can reduce smoking, especially when combined with other tobacco control strategies. However, youth smoking prevention campaigns sponsored by the tobacco industry have been ineffective and may actually have increased youth smoking.
The foundation's truth(R) youth smoking prevention campaign is a national effort that delivers facts and messages to teens about tobacco, but avoids giving directive statements telling youths not to smoke. Research has indicated that in the first four years of the campaign, 18 percent of the overall decline in youth smoking was directly attributable to truth(R). As the only organization directing a national media campaign for youth smoking prevention - other than the tobacco industry - it is critical that funding continues to grow for efforts like the truth(R) campaign and state-specific smoking prevention campaigns.
Legacy(SM) is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps Americans live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation's programs include truth(R), a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX(R), an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit www.legacyforhealth.org
(1) Mowery PD, Brick PD, Farrelly MC. Legacy First Look Report 3. Pathways to Established Smoking: Results from the 1999 National Youth Tobacco Survey. Washington DC: American Legacy Foundation. October 2000.
(2) MMWR. 1998. Decline Selected Cigarette Smoking Initiation and Quitting Behaviors Among High School Students. 47(19):386-389.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
New Report: States Cut Funding for Tobacco Prevention Programs Despite Receiving Record Amounts of Tobacco Revenue
Georgia ranks 50th in the nation on the amount of dollars spent on tobacco use prevention.
/PRNewswire/ -- The states are collecting record amounts of revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but have cut funding for programs to reduce tobacco use by more than 15 percent in the past year, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
With the nation's adult smoking rate stalled after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress is at risk unless states significantly increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The report also calls on Congress to ensure that health care reform legislation includes adequate funding for disease prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation, and mandates coverage in Medicaid and other health insurance programs for smoking cessation medication and counseling.
The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements - estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years - to fight tobacco use. The states also collect billions more each year from tobacco taxes.
Key findings of this year's report include:
-- The states this year (Fiscal Year 2010) will collect $25.1 billion in
revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but are
spending just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco
prevention and cessation programs (the states also receive $62 million
in federal grants for tobacco prevention, for total funding of $629.5
million). With more states expected to increase tobacco taxes in the
coming year, that revenue figure is certain to increase.
-- In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention by
$103.4 million, or 15.4 percent. Including cuts approved just last
week, New York made the largest cut - $25.2 million, or 31 percent -
despite having a successful program that has reduced smoking to well
below national rates. Other states with large cuts include Colorado,
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington.
-- Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention
program at the level recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Only nine other states fund tobacco
prevention at even half the CDC-recommended level, while 31 states and
DC provide less than a quarter of the recommended funding.
-- Tobacco companies spend $20 to market tobacco products for every one
dollar the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest
data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8
billion a year on marketing.
The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC in November reported that the adult smoking rate in 2008 was 20.6 percent - essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 45 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 20 percent of high schoolers still smoke and declines have slowed in recent years.
"To continue reducing tobacco use, elected officials at all levels must resist complacency and redouble efforts to implement proven strategies," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their current budget challenges, the states lack excuses for failing to do more. They are collecting record amounts of tobacco money, more of which should be used to fight the tobacco problem. And there is overwhelming evidence that tobacco prevention programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, they also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Those states that make short-sighted decisions to cut tobacco prevention will pay a steep price in lives and dollars."
"The inadequate funding of tobacco prevention and cessation programs is a powerful example of misplaced priorities in our nation's health care system," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "We spend too much on treating people after they get sick and too little on keeping them healthy in the first place. Investing more in proven tobacco prevention programs and policies, like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces, will help people lead healthier lives and reduce health care costs."
"There is absolutely no question that the devastating toll and financial burden of tobacco use is a huge drain on our nation's economy and contributor to spiraling health care costs," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "It's a travesty that only a small fraction of tobacco settlement funds is actually being used to support tobacco prevention programs in states. If we allow this to continue, how can we expect to ever realize the true potential of settlement dollars to save lives and improve the physical and economic health of this country."
"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "States must do better at funding programs that help reduce tobacco use and protect the health of children, 3,500 of whom try their first cigarette every day."
"As more states are turning to tobacco taxes to help during these difficult economic times, states need to spend a portion of the revenue on tobacco prevention and control programs - especially those programs to help smokers quit," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Increasing tobacco taxes is a proven and effective way to reduce the number of adults and youth who smoke, but as they make tobacco products more expensive states also have a responsibility to ensure that the nearly 46 million smokers in this country have the help they need to quit."
The report cites conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money. Maine, which has long had one of the best-funded programs, has reduced smoking by 71 percent among middle school students and by 64 percent among high school students since 1997. Washington state, before cutting its program by 42 percent this year, reduced adult smoking by 30 percent and youth smoking by 50. An August 2008 study found that California's tobacco control program, the nation's longest-running, saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.
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Georgia Front Page
/PRNewswire/ -- The states are collecting record amounts of revenue from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but have cut funding for programs to reduce tobacco use by more than 15 percent in the past year, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
With the nation's adult smoking rate stalled after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress is at risk unless states significantly increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The report also calls on Congress to ensure that health care reform legislation includes adequate funding for disease prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation, and mandates coverage in Medicaid and other health insurance programs for smoking cessation medication and counseling.
The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 11 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements - estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years - to fight tobacco use. The states also collect billions more each year from tobacco taxes.
Key findings of this year's report include:
-- The states this year (Fiscal Year 2010) will collect $25.1 billion in
revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but are
spending just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco
prevention and cessation programs (the states also receive $62 million
in federal grants for tobacco prevention, for total funding of $629.5
million). With more states expected to increase tobacco taxes in the
coming year, that revenue figure is certain to increase.
-- In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention by
$103.4 million, or 15.4 percent. Including cuts approved just last
week, New York made the largest cut - $25.2 million, or 31 percent -
despite having a successful program that has reduced smoking to well
below national rates. Other states with large cuts include Colorado,
Maryland, Pennsylvania and Washington.
-- Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention
program at the level recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). Only nine other states fund tobacco
prevention at even half the CDC-recommended level, while 31 states and
DC provide less than a quarter of the recommended funding.
-- Tobacco companies spend $20 to market tobacco products for every one
dollar the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest
data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8
billion a year on marketing.
The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC in November reported that the adult smoking rate in 2008 was 20.6 percent - essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 45 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 20 percent of high schoolers still smoke and declines have slowed in recent years.
"To continue reducing tobacco use, elected officials at all levels must resist complacency and redouble efforts to implement proven strategies," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their current budget challenges, the states lack excuses for failing to do more. They are collecting record amounts of tobacco money, more of which should be used to fight the tobacco problem. And there is overwhelming evidence that tobacco prevention programs not only reduce smoking and save lives, they also save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Those states that make short-sighted decisions to cut tobacco prevention will pay a steep price in lives and dollars."
"The inadequate funding of tobacco prevention and cessation programs is a powerful example of misplaced priorities in our nation's health care system," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "We spend too much on treating people after they get sick and too little on keeping them healthy in the first place. Investing more in proven tobacco prevention programs and policies, like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces, will help people lead healthier lives and reduce health care costs."
"There is absolutely no question that the devastating toll and financial burden of tobacco use is a huge drain on our nation's economy and contributor to spiraling health care costs," said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. "It's a travesty that only a small fraction of tobacco settlement funds is actually being used to support tobacco prevention programs in states. If we allow this to continue, how can we expect to ever realize the true potential of settlement dollars to save lives and improve the physical and economic health of this country."
"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "States must do better at funding programs that help reduce tobacco use and protect the health of children, 3,500 of whom try their first cigarette every day."
"As more states are turning to tobacco taxes to help during these difficult economic times, states need to spend a portion of the revenue on tobacco prevention and control programs - especially those programs to help smokers quit," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Increasing tobacco taxes is a proven and effective way to reduce the number of adults and youth who smoke, but as they make tobacco products more expensive states also have a responsibility to ensure that the nearly 46 million smokers in this country have the help they need to quit."
The report cites conclusive evidence that tobacco prevention and cessation programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money. Maine, which has long had one of the best-funded programs, has reduced smoking by 71 percent among middle school students and by 64 percent among high school students since 1997. Washington state, before cutting its program by 42 percent this year, reduced adult smoking by 30 percent and youth smoking by 50. An August 2008 study found that California's tobacco control program, the nation's longest-running, saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., killing more than 400,000 people and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers - one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.
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Georgia Front Page
Monday, August 03, 2009
Electronic Cigarette Company (eCigarettesChoice.com) Claims FDA Study Proves E-Cigarettes Are Safer Than Tobacco Cigarettes
TT Note: While I don't smoke, I have still been following this issue. My dad was a smoker and I wonder if he would have tried the electronic cigarette. What I don't have to wonder about is the lack of evidence the FDA presented in their recent release on the safety of cigarettes. Their report did seem a bit skewed in the direction of tobacco.
I had planned to ask a smoker what they thought about this whole debate, but they are hard to find in my area.
/24-7/ -- The study by the FDA released July 22, 2009 may actually prove what e-cigarette aficionados have been shouting on the rooftops from day one: that electronic cigarettes are actually much safer than tobacco cigarettes. Within the last year at least three independent labs have given the green light to electronic cigarettes and the FDA pretends they do not exist.
In the recent FDA study, trace amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and tobacco specific impurities were reportedly found in a limited test of two brands of e-cigarettes. Nitrosamines may also be found in consumer foods such bacon and beer. Trace amounts of carcinogens may also be found in nicotine replacement products such as NicoDerm CQ and Nicorette gum which are FDA approved. The list of hazardous chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes is somewhere around 4,000 according to the CDC
The FDA claimed their analysis detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze which is toxic to humans was present in only one of the samples. They failed to qualify at what level is it harmful or how much was in the sample. This misleads the public to believe that antifreeze is in their e-cigarettes. Diethylene glycol is not an ingredient used to make electronic cigarettes and how it came to be in the sample should raise an eyebrow. But the FDA sounded an alarm even though the test was done months before.
With as many toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke in comparison to electronic cigarettes, the alarm the FDA is sounding about a less hazardous product is both suspicious and negligent. One might be left to believe that the real FDA agenda may not be to protect the publics' health, but to aggressively protect the bottom line of the makers of smoking cessation products as well as the loss of tax revenue from the sale of tobacco cigarettes. The pressure the FDA is under from health groups and special interest groups is certainly noticeable. It is public record where these organizations receive their funding from and to who they owe their allegiance.
"In effect, the FDA news release was telling the public go smoke tobacco cigarettes, cancer sticks, which are known to kill millions of people while not one death has been recorded as a result of using electronic cigarettes," says Kyle Newton, owner of eCigarettesChoice.com. "It does not make sense." eCigarettesChoice.com is an online Super Store that manufactures the SS Choice No 7 brand along with the new No 7 Stealth electronic cigarette for military use in combat environments. This brand was not part of the FDA test.
The FDA scare resulted in several customers canceling orders. However, on Monday morning they were calling back to order again. "It was educational," says Kyle, "after our customers did their homework, they determined the benefits of the electronic cigarettes far out-weighed the risks. Almost everything consumers come in contact with has traces of hazardous chemicals. Nothing is 100% safe. I lost my mom, who was a smoker, to cancer in 2005, so we do our best to protect our customers and our reputation.
Several prominent doctors and tobacco researchers, including Dr. Michael Siegel at the Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Joel Nitzkin of the AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force, and Dr. Brad Rodu, Endowed Chair, Tobacco Harm Reduction Research University of Louisville, has chastised the FDA and requested that they justify their warning about electronic cigarettes with qualified scientific proof.
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I had planned to ask a smoker what they thought about this whole debate, but they are hard to find in my area.
/24-7/ -- The study by the FDA released July 22, 2009 may actually prove what e-cigarette aficionados have been shouting on the rooftops from day one: that electronic cigarettes are actually much safer than tobacco cigarettes. Within the last year at least three independent labs have given the green light to electronic cigarettes and the FDA pretends they do not exist.
In the recent FDA study, trace amounts of tobacco-specific nitrosamines and tobacco specific impurities were reportedly found in a limited test of two brands of e-cigarettes. Nitrosamines may also be found in consumer foods such bacon and beer. Trace amounts of carcinogens may also be found in nicotine replacement products such as NicoDerm CQ and Nicorette gum which are FDA approved. The list of hazardous chemicals found in tobacco cigarettes is somewhere around 4,000 according to the CDC
The FDA claimed their analysis detected diethylene glycol, a chemical used in antifreeze which is toxic to humans was present in only one of the samples. They failed to qualify at what level is it harmful or how much was in the sample. This misleads the public to believe that antifreeze is in their e-cigarettes. Diethylene glycol is not an ingredient used to make electronic cigarettes and how it came to be in the sample should raise an eyebrow. But the FDA sounded an alarm even though the test was done months before.
With as many toxic chemicals found in tobacco smoke in comparison to electronic cigarettes, the alarm the FDA is sounding about a less hazardous product is both suspicious and negligent. One might be left to believe that the real FDA agenda may not be to protect the publics' health, but to aggressively protect the bottom line of the makers of smoking cessation products as well as the loss of tax revenue from the sale of tobacco cigarettes. The pressure the FDA is under from health groups and special interest groups is certainly noticeable. It is public record where these organizations receive their funding from and to who they owe their allegiance.
"In effect, the FDA news release was telling the public go smoke tobacco cigarettes, cancer sticks, which are known to kill millions of people while not one death has been recorded as a result of using electronic cigarettes," says Kyle Newton, owner of eCigarettesChoice.com. "It does not make sense." eCigarettesChoice.com is an online Super Store that manufactures the SS Choice No 7 brand along with the new No 7 Stealth electronic cigarette for military use in combat environments. This brand was not part of the FDA test.
The FDA scare resulted in several customers canceling orders. However, on Monday morning they were calling back to order again. "It was educational," says Kyle, "after our customers did their homework, they determined the benefits of the electronic cigarettes far out-weighed the risks. Almost everything consumers come in contact with has traces of hazardous chemicals. Nothing is 100% safe. I lost my mom, who was a smoker, to cancer in 2005, so we do our best to protect our customers and our reputation.
Several prominent doctors and tobacco researchers, including Dr. Michael Siegel at the Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Joel Nitzkin of the AAPHP Tobacco Control Task Force, and Dr. Brad Rodu, Endowed Chair, Tobacco Harm Reduction Research University of Louisville, has chastised the FDA and requested that they justify their warning about electronic cigarettes with qualified scientific proof.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
New Survey Highlights Emotional, Financial Toll Multi-Generational Tobacco Use Takes on Parents Sandwiched In Between
/PRNewswire/ -- Amanda Crawford was just fifteen when she smoked her first cigarette. Now that she is 45, she still smokes despite having tried to quit multiple times. Children are fifty percent more likely to start smoking if they have a parent who smokes - and in Crawford's case, it was her father who smoked. Born and raised in Virginia, she met and married her husband - also a smoker - in Roanoke. The Crawfords now have three sons - 28, 14 and 11. "Our 28-year-old started smoking when he turned 18 and our 14-year-old is already sneaking cigarettes. My father quit smoking later in his life, but I'm concerned about how smoking will affect the health of our entire family," she said.
She is not alone. As caregivers across the country mobilize for Sandwich Generation Month in July, the American Legacy Foundation(R) today released the results of a recent survey analyzing the unique concerns associated with tobacco use and prevention for Americans raising their own kids while simultaneously caring for their aging parents - millions of whom have been life-long smokers and are now struggling with the resulting health effects. Lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, can all afflict aging smokers and can be emotionally and financially debilitating for families forced to cope with them.
The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, found that 75 percent of respondents with a parent who is a current or former smoker are concerned about their aging parent's current or past smoking or their diagnosis of having a tobacco-related disease. Thirty-four percent of respondents with teenage or adult children indicated that they were concerned about their child's current or potential smoking. About 5% of respondents were "sandwiched" in between: struggling with issues related to both their parents and children smoking. Nationwide, this small percentage translates to more than 10 million Americans in this situation.
The survey highlights the unique position of this group of Americans and their concerns about the impact of the nation's number-one preventable cause of death on their emotional and financial well-being. Treating tobacco-related disease is enormously expensive for families and for the healthcare system. A 2007 American Legacy Foundation report found that America's Medicaid system could spend nearly $10 billion less within five years if all Medicaid beneficiaries who smoke, quit. Effective smoking prevention and cessation programs could cut Medicaid costs by 5.6 percent.
Results from this survey also found that while just over a third of respondents are concerned about their own kids smoking, 56 percent of all respondents feel that a national youth smoking prevention campaign will keep kids from lighting up. Almost half (49 percent) think that a national quit smoking campaign will help reduce healthcare costs across the country.
"As healthcare reform and the economy dominate our headlines, we simply cannot ignore the burden of smoking on the health of America's families," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH. "This snapshot into the lives and concerns of this segment of our population reinforces the urgency with which more resources are needed to return money and lives as dividends," she said. This is especially important given one in five of those concerned about their parents say the healthcare costs associated with smoking are impacting their family's financial situation more than ever.
Late last year, the foundation commissioned an online survey by Harris Interactive analyzing the impact of the economic crisis on smokers. In that survey, 77 percent of smokers report increased stress levels due to the current state of the economy and two-thirds of those smokers say this stress has had an effect on their smoking.
The single best way for smokers to improve their health is to quit. Forty-six million Americans have stopped smoking but currently 43 million still do. On average, it takes 8-11 attempts before a smoker quits for good so adopting a personalized, comprehensive quit plan is critical to increasing the odds for success. The free, state-of-the-art EX(R) campaign is helping smokers quit by arming them with the best information available to re-learn their lives without cigarettes. Visit www.BecomeAnEX.org for more information.
The current survey was conducted on behalf of the American Legacy Foundation by Opinion Research Corporation's CARAVAN(R) Telephone Survey among a national probability sample of 1,002 adults 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States, during the period June 19-22, 2009. A full methodology is available.
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She is not alone. As caregivers across the country mobilize for Sandwich Generation Month in July, the American Legacy Foundation(R) today released the results of a recent survey analyzing the unique concerns associated with tobacco use and prevention for Americans raising their own kids while simultaneously caring for their aging parents - millions of whom have been life-long smokers and are now struggling with the resulting health effects. Lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, can all afflict aging smokers and can be emotionally and financially debilitating for families forced to cope with them.
The survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, found that 75 percent of respondents with a parent who is a current or former smoker are concerned about their aging parent's current or past smoking or their diagnosis of having a tobacco-related disease. Thirty-four percent of respondents with teenage or adult children indicated that they were concerned about their child's current or potential smoking. About 5% of respondents were "sandwiched" in between: struggling with issues related to both their parents and children smoking. Nationwide, this small percentage translates to more than 10 million Americans in this situation.
The survey highlights the unique position of this group of Americans and their concerns about the impact of the nation's number-one preventable cause of death on their emotional and financial well-being. Treating tobacco-related disease is enormously expensive for families and for the healthcare system. A 2007 American Legacy Foundation report found that America's Medicaid system could spend nearly $10 billion less within five years if all Medicaid beneficiaries who smoke, quit. Effective smoking prevention and cessation programs could cut Medicaid costs by 5.6 percent.
Results from this survey also found that while just over a third of respondents are concerned about their own kids smoking, 56 percent of all respondents feel that a national youth smoking prevention campaign will keep kids from lighting up. Almost half (49 percent) think that a national quit smoking campaign will help reduce healthcare costs across the country.
"As healthcare reform and the economy dominate our headlines, we simply cannot ignore the burden of smoking on the health of America's families," said Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH. "This snapshot into the lives and concerns of this segment of our population reinforces the urgency with which more resources are needed to return money and lives as dividends," she said. This is especially important given one in five of those concerned about their parents say the healthcare costs associated with smoking are impacting their family's financial situation more than ever.
Late last year, the foundation commissioned an online survey by Harris Interactive analyzing the impact of the economic crisis on smokers. In that survey, 77 percent of smokers report increased stress levels due to the current state of the economy and two-thirds of those smokers say this stress has had an effect on their smoking.
The single best way for smokers to improve their health is to quit. Forty-six million Americans have stopped smoking but currently 43 million still do. On average, it takes 8-11 attempts before a smoker quits for good so adopting a personalized, comprehensive quit plan is critical to increasing the odds for success. The free, state-of-the-art EX(R) campaign is helping smokers quit by arming them with the best information available to re-learn their lives without cigarettes. Visit www.BecomeAnEX.org for more information.
The current survey was conducted on behalf of the American Legacy Foundation by Opinion Research Corporation's CARAVAN(R) Telephone Survey among a national probability sample of 1,002 adults 18 years of age and older, living in private households in the continental United States, during the period June 19-22, 2009. A full methodology is available.
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Thursday, June 11, 2009
U.S. Senate Casts Historic Vote to Regulate Tobacco Products
/PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:
The U.S. Senate today delivered a truly historic victory for America's children and health by approving legislation to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products. Forty-five years after the first U.S. Surgeon General's report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer, the most deadly product sold in America will no longer be the least regulated product sold in America.
Today's 79-17 vote underscores the bipartisan consensus that the time finally has come to end the special protection the tobacco industry has enjoyed for too long and at such great cost to the nation's health. The House passed similar legislation 298-112 in April, and Congress is expected to quickly send a final bill to President Obama, who is eager to sign it into law. This legislation represents the strongest action Congress has ever taken to reduce tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. If effectively implemented, it will significantly reduce the number of children who start to use tobacco, the number of adults who continue to use tobacco and the number of people who suffer and die as a result.
We applaud Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the bill sponsor, for his leadership and tenacity in championing this legislation. This bill adds to his incomparable legacy of improving the health and health care of all Americans. We applaud the many senators who have played a leadership role in this effort, including Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) who shepherded the legislation through committee and the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). This is truly bipartisan legislation. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has been a leader on the legislation for the past several years, and the bill received critical support at every stage of the Senate debate from Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
This legislation is an essential step toward improving health and reducing health care costs in the United States. Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans each year, sickens millions more and costs the nation $96 billion annually in health care bills. Yet, until now, tobacco products have escaped the FDA's common-sense regulations that apply to every other product we consume, from food to drugs to cosmetics. The lack of regulation has allowed tobacco companies to market their deadly and addictive products to children, deceive consumers about the harm their products cause and manipulate their products in ways that make them even more harmful and addictive. This legislation at long last will stop these harmful practices.
This legislation will grant the FDA the authority and resources necessary to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Among other things, it will:
-- Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
-- Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children.
-- Require large, graphic health warnings that cover the top half of the
front and back of cigarette packs.
-- Ban misleading health claims such as "light" and "low-tar."
-- Strictly regulate all health claims about tobacco products to ensure
they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current tobacco
users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
-- Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco
products, as well as changes in products and research about their
health effects.
-- Empower the FDA to require changes in tobacco products, such as the
removal or reduction of harmful ingredients or the reduction of
nicotine levels.
-- Fully fund the FDA's new tobacco-related responsibilities with a user
fee on tobacco companies so no resources are taken from the FDA's
current work.
This legislation has strong, bipartisan support across the nation. It has been endorsed by more than 1,000 public health, faith and other organizations (www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/fda/organizations.pdf). A poll last year found that 70 percent of American voters support FDA regulation of tobacco products (www.tobaccofreekids.org/fdapoll/). It has been endorsed by scientific authorities including the Institute of Medicine and the President's Cancer Panel. The long-overdue regulation of tobacco products is an enormous achievement for America's health.
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The U.S. Senate today delivered a truly historic victory for America's children and health by approving legislation to grant the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over tobacco products. Forty-five years after the first U.S. Surgeon General's report linking cigarette smoking to lung cancer, the most deadly product sold in America will no longer be the least regulated product sold in America.
Today's 79-17 vote underscores the bipartisan consensus that the time finally has come to end the special protection the tobacco industry has enjoyed for too long and at such great cost to the nation's health. The House passed similar legislation 298-112 in April, and Congress is expected to quickly send a final bill to President Obama, who is eager to sign it into law. This legislation represents the strongest action Congress has ever taken to reduce tobacco use, the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. If effectively implemented, it will significantly reduce the number of children who start to use tobacco, the number of adults who continue to use tobacco and the number of people who suffer and die as a result.
We applaud Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), the bill sponsor, for his leadership and tenacity in championing this legislation. This bill adds to his incomparable legacy of improving the health and health care of all Americans. We applaud the many senators who have played a leadership role in this effort, including Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) who shepherded the legislation through committee and the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA). This is truly bipartisan legislation. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has been a leader on the legislation for the past several years, and the bill received critical support at every stage of the Senate debate from Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Charles Grassley (R-IA), Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
This legislation is an essential step toward improving health and reducing health care costs in the United States. Tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans each year, sickens millions more and costs the nation $96 billion annually in health care bills. Yet, until now, tobacco products have escaped the FDA's common-sense regulations that apply to every other product we consume, from food to drugs to cosmetics. The lack of regulation has allowed tobacco companies to market their deadly and addictive products to children, deceive consumers about the harm their products cause and manipulate their products in ways that make them even more harmful and addictive. This legislation at long last will stop these harmful practices.
This legislation will grant the FDA the authority and resources necessary to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Among other things, it will:
-- Restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children.
-- Stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children.
-- Require large, graphic health warnings that cover the top half of the
front and back of cigarette packs.
-- Ban misleading health claims such as "light" and "low-tar."
-- Strictly regulate all health claims about tobacco products to ensure
they are scientifically proven and do not discourage current tobacco
users from quitting or encourage new users to start.
-- Require tobacco companies to disclose the contents of tobacco
products, as well as changes in products and research about their
health effects.
-- Empower the FDA to require changes in tobacco products, such as the
removal or reduction of harmful ingredients or the reduction of
nicotine levels.
-- Fully fund the FDA's new tobacco-related responsibilities with a user
fee on tobacco companies so no resources are taken from the FDA's
current work.
This legislation has strong, bipartisan support across the nation. It has been endorsed by more than 1,000 public health, faith and other organizations (www.tobaccofreekids.org/reports/fda/organizations.pdf). A poll last year found that 70 percent of American voters support FDA regulation of tobacco products (www.tobaccofreekids.org/fdapoll/). It has been endorsed by scientific authorities including the Institute of Medicine and the President's Cancer Panel. The long-overdue regulation of tobacco products is an enormous achievement for America's health.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009
Partnership for Prevention: CDC Report Shows Compelling Need for FDA Regulation of Tobacco
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new report on the cigarette brand preferences of middle and high school students demonstrates the need for Congress to give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco, Partnership for Prevention Interim President Corinne G. Husten, MD, MPH, said today.
"It's no accident that the most-advertised brand of cigarettes in history is also the favorite brand of high school and middle school students," Husten said. "Congress must move quickly to introduce and pass legislation giving FDA the authority to curtail advertising and promotional practices that appeal to underage youth."
The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that Marlboro - the most heavily advertised brand of cigarettes - was the brand "usually smoked" by 52.3 percent of high school students and 43.3 percent of middle school students who regularly smoke. Cumulatively, the three most heavily advertised brands - Marlboro, Newport and Camel - were preferred by 78.2 percent of middle school smokers and 86.5 percent of high school smokers. Marlboro is manufactured by Altria, while Newport is made by Lorillard and Camel is sold by R.J. Reynolds.
"Altria and R.J. Reynolds must accept responsibility for their actions and end their advertising practices that appeal to children," Husten said. "Giving the FDA the power to regulate tobacco marketing would be a huge step to address one of the greatest public health threats facing American youth."
Husten said the report also underscored the need for increased funding for mass-media campaigns to counteract tobacco-industry marketing.
"Altria funds a campaign it claims is intended to discourage youth smoking," she said. "But data have shown that such campaigns by the tobacco industry actually increase youth tobacco use."
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"It's no accident that the most-advertised brand of cigarettes in history is also the favorite brand of high school and middle school students," Husten said. "Congress must move quickly to introduce and pass legislation giving FDA the authority to curtail advertising and promotional practices that appeal to underage youth."
The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that Marlboro - the most heavily advertised brand of cigarettes - was the brand "usually smoked" by 52.3 percent of high school students and 43.3 percent of middle school students who regularly smoke. Cumulatively, the three most heavily advertised brands - Marlboro, Newport and Camel - were preferred by 78.2 percent of middle school smokers and 86.5 percent of high school smokers. Marlboro is manufactured by Altria, while Newport is made by Lorillard and Camel is sold by R.J. Reynolds.
"Altria and R.J. Reynolds must accept responsibility for their actions and end their advertising practices that appeal to children," Husten said. "Giving the FDA the power to regulate tobacco marketing would be a huge step to address one of the greatest public health threats facing American youth."
Husten said the report also underscored the need for increased funding for mass-media campaigns to counteract tobacco-industry marketing.
"Altria funds a campaign it claims is intended to discourage youth smoking," she said. "But data have shown that such campaigns by the tobacco industry actually increase youth tobacco use."
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Why Don't Democrats Avoid Tens of Thousands of Job Losses?
/PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released today by the Council of Independent Tobacco Manufacturers of America:
At a time of national economic crisis and with job loss announcements racking up daily in the tens of thousands, why won't Senate and House Democrats take action to save tens of thousands of jobs through the simple stroke of a pen? The proposed S-Chip legislation that will come before the Senate this week contains a little noticed funding provision that will increase the federal excise tax on roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco from $1 per pound of tobacco, to over $24 per pound: a staggering 2,100% increase. To put the proposed increase into perspective, in the same bill, the tax on a pack of cigarettes will rise by only 156%, from 39 cents per pack to $1.00 per pack, and the excise tax on other tobacco products, such as smokeless and pipe tobacco, will more or less double. Indications from the Hill suggest the high excise tax on RYO may be a result of some bad math in legislative drafting of the bill.
One could argue, well it's tobacco, and who cares anyway? But with tens of thousands of industry jobs dependent on this little segment of the overall tobacco industry, it would seem little effort is required by this Congress to achieve some 'stimulus' for the economy, simply by taking the excise tax increase on RYO back to the $8.92 per pound level proposed in the earlier version of S-CHIP, that House and Senate members voted on in late 2008.
It would perhaps behoove our political leaders to make the easy saves in the economy that would help keep hard working Americans gainfully employed right now. This is an easy fix for Congress, so what strong-minded stimulus driven Democrat will rise to the occasion and help save tens of thousands of jobs at the stroke of a pen by writing $8.92, instead of $24. It's your guess.
At a time of national economic crisis and with job loss announcements racking up daily in the tens of thousands, why won't Senate and House Democrats take action to save tens of thousands of jobs through the simple stroke of a pen? The proposed S-Chip legislation that will come before the Senate this week contains a little noticed funding provision that will increase the federal excise tax on roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco from $1 per pound of tobacco, to over $24 per pound: a staggering 2,100% increase. To put the proposed increase into perspective, in the same bill, the tax on a pack of cigarettes will rise by only 156%, from 39 cents per pack to $1.00 per pack, and the excise tax on other tobacco products, such as smokeless and pipe tobacco, will more or less double. Indications from the Hill suggest the high excise tax on RYO may be a result of some bad math in legislative drafting of the bill.
One could argue, well it's tobacco, and who cares anyway? But with tens of thousands of industry jobs dependent on this little segment of the overall tobacco industry, it would seem little effort is required by this Congress to achieve some 'stimulus' for the economy, simply by taking the excise tax increase on RYO back to the $8.92 per pound level proposed in the earlier version of S-CHIP, that House and Senate members voted on in late 2008.
It would perhaps behoove our political leaders to make the easy saves in the economy that would help keep hard working Americans gainfully employed right now. This is an easy fix for Congress, so what strong-minded stimulus driven Democrat will rise to the occasion and help save tens of thousands of jobs at the stroke of a pen by writing $8.92, instead of $24. It's your guess.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
National Report Ranks Georgia 50th in Protecting Kids from Tobacco
TT Note: Where do the kids smoke? So many areas are smoke free these days and I have to admit I like the fresher air. Maybe Georgia should consider collecting two dollars from the tobacco companies for every dollar the companies spend in advertising in the state. Perhaps convenience stores will have to tighten their own rules and regulations for selling cigarettes to minors. Just a thought.
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ten years after the November 1998 state tobacco settlement, Georgia ranks 50th in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
Georgia currently spends $3.2 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 2.7 percent of the $116.5 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Georgia include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $444 million a year on marketing
in Georgia. This is 139 times what the state spends on tobacco
prevention.
-- Georgia this year will collect $393 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend less than 1 percent of it
on tobacco prevention.
The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"Georgia is one of the most disappointing states when it comes to funding programs to protect kids from tobacco," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "On this 10th anniversary of the tobacco settlement, we call on Georgia's leaders to raise the state cigarette tax and use some of the new revenue to increase funding for tobacco prevention. Tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."
Georgia's current cigarette tax of 37 cents per pack is 43rd in the nation and well below the national average of $1.19 per pack. Scientific studies have found that increasing cigarette prices is one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.
On Nov. 23, 1998, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the nation's major tobacco companies to recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states (Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Minnesota) that had reached earlier settlements. These settlements require the tobacco companies to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years. The states also collect billions of dollars each year in tobacco taxes.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
According to the report, the states in the last 10 years have received $203.5 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of this tobacco money - $6.5 billion - on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
Other findings of the report include:
-- In the current year, no state is funding tobacco prevention at
CDC-recommended levels, and only nine states fund their programs at
even half of the CDC recommendation.
-- 41 states and the District of Columbia are funding tobacco prevention
programs at less than half the CDC-recommended amount. These include
27 states that are providing less than a quarter of the recommended
funding.
-- Total funding for state tobacco prevention programs this year, $718.1
million, amounts to less than three percent of the $24.6 billion the
states will collect from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. It
would take just 15 percent of this tobacco revenue to fund tobacco
prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use: complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without aggressive efforts at all levels of government. Second, the states are expected to face budget shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between 2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states should not make the same mistake again.
The report found that there is more evidence than ever that tobacco prevention programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Washington State, which has been a national leader in funding tobacco prevention, has reduced smoking by 60 percent among sixth graders and by 43 percent among 12th graders since the late 1990s. A recent study found that California's tobacco control program saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
In Georgia, 18.6 percent of high school students smoke, and 11,300 more kids become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 10,300 lives and costs the state $2.25 billion in health care bills.
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/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ten years after the November 1998 state tobacco settlement, Georgia ranks 50th in the nation in funding programs to protect kids from tobacco, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.
Georgia currently spends $3.2 million a year on tobacco prevention programs, which is 2.7 percent of the $116.5 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Other key findings for Georgia include:
-- The tobacco companies spend more than $444 million a year on marketing
in Georgia. This is 139 times what the state spends on tobacco
prevention.
-- Georgia this year will collect $393 million from the tobacco
settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend less than 1 percent of it
on tobacco prevention.
The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, titled "A Decade of Broken Promises," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
"Georgia is one of the most disappointing states when it comes to funding programs to protect kids from tobacco," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "On this 10th anniversary of the tobacco settlement, we call on Georgia's leaders to raise the state cigarette tax and use some of the new revenue to increase funding for tobacco prevention. Tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."
Georgia's current cigarette tax of 37 cents per pack is 43rd in the nation and well below the national average of $1.19 per pack. Scientific studies have found that increasing cigarette prices is one of the most effective ways to prevent kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.
On Nov. 23, 1998, 46 states settled their lawsuits against the nation's major tobacco companies to recover tobacco-related health care costs, joining four states (Mississippi, Texas, Florida and Minnesota) that had reached earlier settlements. These settlements require the tobacco companies to make annual payments to the states in perpetuity, with total payments estimated at $246 billion over the first 25 years. The states also collect billions of dollars each year in tobacco taxes.
The new report finds that most states have broken their promise to use a significant portion of their tobacco money to fund programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.
According to the report, the states in the last 10 years have received $203.5 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. But they have spent only 3.2 percent of this tobacco money - $6.5 billion - on tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
Other findings of the report include:
-- In the current year, no state is funding tobacco prevention at
CDC-recommended levels, and only nine states fund their programs at
even half of the CDC recommendation.
-- 41 states and the District of Columbia are funding tobacco prevention
programs at less than half the CDC-recommended amount. These include
27 states that are providing less than a quarter of the recommended
funding.
-- Total funding for state tobacco prevention programs this year, $718.1
million, amounts to less than three percent of the $24.6 billion the
states will collect from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes. It
would take just 15 percent of this tobacco revenue to fund tobacco
prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
The report warns that the nation faces two immediate challenges in the fight against tobacco use: complacency and looming state budget shortfalls. First, while the nation has made significant progress over the past decade in reducing smoking, progress has slowed and further progress is at risk without aggressive efforts at all levels of government. Second, the states are expected to face budget shortfalls in the coming year as a result of the weak economy. The last time the states faced significant budget shortfalls, they cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent between 2002 and 2005. The cutbacks are a major reason why smoking declines subsequently stalled, and states should not make the same mistake again.
The report found that there is more evidence than ever that tobacco prevention programs work to reduce smoking, save lives and save money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs. Washington State, which has been a national leader in funding tobacco prevention, has reduced smoking by 60 percent among sixth graders and by 43 percent among 12th graders since the late 1990s. A recent study found that California's tobacco control program saved $86 billion in health care costs in its first 15 years, compared to $1.8 billion spent on the program, for a return on investment of nearly 50:1.
In Georgia, 18.6 percent of high school students smoke, and 11,300 more kids become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 10,300 lives and costs the state $2.25 billion in health care bills.
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