Saint Francis Hospital's keynote speaker at HeartFest 2010 will be Patrick Reynolds, grandson of  cigarette company founder R.J. Reynolds and president of the Foundation for a Smokefree America.  The keynote speech by Mr. Reynolds, a leading anti-smoking advocate, will be held Thursday, Feb. 18 at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at Saint Francis Hospital, 355 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, Ill.  Mr. Reynolds will discuss the dangers of tobacco in his address "Tobacco Wars: the Battle for a Smoke-free Society."  

Saint Francis Hospital's annual Heart Festival includes free health information, physician lectures, a healthy cooking demonstration, and free health screenings. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the hospital, with the keynote speaker beginning discussion promptly at 1 p.m.

Patrick Reynolds lost his father, R.J. Reynolds, Jr., his oldest brother R.J. Reynolds III, his aunt and other family members due to cigarette-induced emphysema, heart disease, and lung cancer.  Concerned about the mounting health evidence against tobacco, he made the decision to speak out against the industry his family helped build.  From family tragedy, a passionate advocate emerged.

Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said of him, "Patrick Reynolds is one of the nation's most influential advocates of a smoke-free America.  His testimony is invaluable to our society."  Patrick first spoke out publicly at a Congressional hearing in favor of a ban on all cigarette advertising in 1986.  Reynolds' advocacy work, motivational talks to youth and appearances in the press have made him a well-known and respected champion of a smoke-free society.  He has made numerous television appearances, including the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Larry King, ABC's Nightline, The Phil Donahue Show, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, and numerous other national and international television and radio shows.

In March 2009, Reynolds met in Washington, DC with Rep. Henry Waxman, a co-sponsor of the Congressional bill for FDA regulation of tobacco, to offer his support.  The bill passed both Houses, and President Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act into law on June 22, 2009.

 

FACTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SMOKING

Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease:

• Cigarettes cause more deaths than cocaine, auto accidents, AIDS, alcohol, heroin, fire, suicide and homicide combined (1)
• Smokers die an average of 15 years earlier than nonsmokers
• Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer which kills more Americans every year than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined (2)
• In 2010, lung cancer will kill more than 165,000 Americans (2)
• In 2020, tobacco use will kill 6 million people from cancer, heart disease, emphysema and a range of other ills (3)

Cigarette smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States:

• Accounts for more than 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths
• Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing several chronic disorders including fatty buildups in arteries, several types of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (lung problems)
• Atherosclerosis (buildup of fatty substances in the arteries) is a chief contributor to the high number of deaths from smoking
• Many studies detail the evidence that cigarette smoking is a major cause of coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack. (4)

The societal costs of smoking include:

• Over 1200 lives lost each day in the U.S.
• Over 400,000 lives lost every year in the U.S.
• $50 billion annually in lost productivity and increased health care costs
• Worldwide, the toll exacted by tobacco use is one in every ten deaths
• Of the world's 1.2 billion smokers, the World Health Organization estimates that 500 million of them will die because of smoking (5)

In most cases, the decision to smoke or start smoking is not made by adults:

• 60% of smokers start by the age of 14
• 90% of smokers are firmly addicted before reaching age 19.
• Tobacco companies have spent over $4 billion annually on advertising, or $15 annually for every man, woman, and child in the country(6)

Former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop alerted the nation that nicotine is as addictive as heroin or cocaine. (6)

(1)  Foundation for a Smokefree America, www.tobaccofree.org/theproblem.htm

(2)  Lung Cancer Alliance, www.lungcanceralliance.org/facing/facts.html

(3)  American Cancer Society Study, Tobacco Atlas, August 25, 2009

(4)  American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4545

Foundation for a Smokefree America, www.tobaccofree.org/theproblem.htm

(5)  ibid.

(6)  ibid.

Media Contact: Margo Schafer, 847-316-4000.

SOURCE Saint Francis Hospital

The Department of Health will provide free nicotine patches to help Pennsylvanians who are trying to quit tobacco starting Monday, Jan. 25. Kits will be offered -- while supplies last -- through the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, kits were paid for by funding from a legal settlement with the tobacco industry. No taxpayer funds were used.

"While many people use the start of a new year to make a new attempt at quitting tobacco, we know that quitting isn't easy. It takes practice and support," said Secretary of Health Everette James. "We hope that by providing free Nicotine Replacement Therapy and one-on-one support offered through our Quitline, more individuals will stay motivated to become tobacco-free."

Cigarette smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, as well as a significant contributor to health care costs. Research by the federal Centers for Disease Control found nearly one of every five deaths nationwide is related to smoking - a staggering 440,000 preventable deaths each year.

The NRT kit promotion is in conjunction with Determined to Quit week, Jan. 24 - 30, as proclaimed by Governor Edward G. Rendell. The week is intended to raise awareness about the many resources available to help residents quit smoking.

Individuals interested in receiving a free NRT kit must call the PA Free Quitline. Quit coaches will ask whether callers have any medical conditions that would rule out the safe use of nicotine patches.  The kit includes a four-week supply of nicotine patches as well as other information to help make the quit attempt successful.  Those who qualify must be willing to enroll in the Quitline coaching program and set an actual quit date.

The PA Free Quitline is administered by Free and Clear, a national leader in the development, evaluation and delivery of evidence-based tobacco cessation programs. There is no cost for the phone support, which can range from three to five coaching sessions.

Additional information and support is offered through www.determinedtoquit.com.  The Web site provides guidance in developing a quit plan, a quit companion and calculator, and video blogs of Pennsylvanians sharing their own stories about quitting tobacco.  Those quitting can also engage family and friends.

Last year, as part of Determined To Quit Week, the Department of Health provided more than 2,200 free NRT kits to Quitline callers. This is the NRT program's second year.

For more information about the state's cessation resources, call the PA Free Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).

Media contact: Stacy Kriedeman, 717-787-1783. SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Health

The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

As Congress negotiates a final health care reform bill, lawmakers should seize this unprecedented opportunity to invest in proven measures that prevent costly diseases from occurring in the first place, which will improve health and reduce health care costs. These include measures to prevent and reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 people and costing the nation $96 billion in health care expenditures annually.

The legislation now being crafted by House and Senate negotiators contains essential disease prevention programs that will improve health and reduce costs. These include: A requirement that Medicaid cover preventive services with demonstrated effectiveness, including treatment to help smokers quit, and creation of a prevention trust fund to finance proven, community-based prevention programs aimed at problems such as tobacco use and obesity.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment: The final health care reform legislation should require comprehensive coverage of smoking cessation treatment, including medication and counseling with no cost-sharing requirements, for all Medicaid recipients, as the House-passed legislation would. The Senate bill would require such coverage only for pregnant women receiving Medicaid.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment is critical as lower-income Americans have higher rates of smoking than the general population, and health care reform is expected to expand Medicaid coverage to millions of new beneficiaries. In 2007, 33 percent of adult enrollees in Medicaid smoked, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The overall rate of smoking among adults in 2008 was 20.6 percent. Medicaid expenditures attributable to smoking total $22 billion annually, representing 11 percent of all Medicaid expenditures, according to the CDC.

Remarkable results recently reported by Massachusetts underscore the benefits of providing Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation treatment. The state found that smoking rates among beneficiaries in its MassHealth program dropped by 26 percent in the first two and a half years after it began providing coverage and promoting use of smoking cessation services in 2006. Costly medical procedures also were reduced substantially. Among the group that enrolled in the smoking cessation program, there were 38 percent fewer hospitalizations for heart attacks and 17 percent fewer emergency-room visits for asthma symptoms in the first year. There were 17 percent fewer claims for maternal birth complications since the benefit was implemented.

Massachusetts' results are early indicators of how much would be gained with a sustained national effort to reduce smoking among Medicaid beneficiaries. Yet, according to the CDC, only six states in 2007 provided coverage of all tobacco-dependence treatments (FDA-approved medications and counseling) to help smokers quit. Though many states are facing severe budget constraints, tobacco prevention and cessation will result in long-term savings for federal and state governments by reducing tobacco-related diseases and health care costs.

Prevention funds: Both the House and Senate bills also would establish a fund to finance proven community-based prevention programs targeting public health problems such as tobacco use and obesity. Americans spend more than $2 trillion a year to treat disease and manage illnesses, and almost three quarters of that money is spent on caring for people whose illnesses we know how to prevent. For example, smoking causes one in five deaths from heart disease, nearly one-third of all cancer deaths and nine in 10 deaths from lung cancer. The lifetime health care costs for individuals who smoke are $17,500 higher than they are for non-smokers.

The Trust for America's Health reviewed prevention programs that already have been tried and found that an investment of $10 per person, per year in proven initiatives to prevent smoking, promote physical activity and improve nutrition could save more than $16 billion a year within five years. That's a return of $5.60 for every dollar invested. While the Congressional Budget Office has not estimated short-term savings from prevention in the health reform bills, it has said that "certain types of preventive services have been found to yield substantial net savings, largely because the initial costs are low and the long-term benefits are large."

The final legislation should adopt the higher 5-year public health and prevention funding level in the House bill and the ongoing funding stream found in the Senate bill. These funds would help finance community-based prevention activities and media campaigns that promote disease prevention. Effective prevention will mean fewer premature deaths, less disease and more cost-effective health care spending.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Vermont ranks 8th in the nation in funding programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

Vermont currently spends $5.9 million a year on tobacco prevention and cessation programs, which is 57.1 percent of the $10.4 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, Vermont ranked 7th, spending $6.1 million on tobacco prevention.

Other key findings for Vermont include:

• Vermont this year will collect $86 million from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 6.9 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs.
• The tobacco companies spend $27.4 million a year to market their products in Vermont. This is 5 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, 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 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

"Vermont has made a solid commitment and again is one of the top 10 states when it comes to protecting kids from tobacco," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "But Vermont still spends just over half of what the CDC recommends. To continue reducing tobacco use, it is critical that Vermont's leaders build on their commitment and increase funding for tobacco prevention programs. Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."

In Vermont, 18.2 percent of high school students smoke, and 600 more kids become regular smokers every year. Each year, tobacco claims 800 lives and costs the state $233 million in health care bills.

Eleven years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, the new report finds that the states this year are collecting record amounts of revenue from the tobacco industry, but are spending less of it on tobacco prevention. Key national findings of the report include:

• The states this year will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco prevention programs. It would take less than 15 percent of their tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
• In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by more than 15 percent, or $103.4 million.
• Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention program at the CDC-recommended level.
• Only nine other states fund prevention programs at even half the CDC-recommended amount, while 31 states and DC are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding.

The report warns that the nation's progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless states increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The United States has significantly reduced smoking among both youth and adults, but the CDC's most recent survey showed that smoking declines among adults have stalled. Currently 20 percent of high school students and 20.6 percent of adults smoke.

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.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

New York, once a national leader in funding programs to reduce tobacco use, has cut funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation program by 31 percent in the past year. As a result of the latest cuts enacted just last week, New York has fallen to 22nd in the nation in funding such programs, according to a national report released today by a coalition of public health organizations. Health advocates say New York's progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless state leaders restore funding.

After the latest cuts, New York this year has budgeted a total of $57 million for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit, including $55.2 million in state funds and the rest in a federal grant. This amounts to just 22.4 percent of the $254.3 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Last year, New York spent $81.9 million, or 32.2 percent of CDC-recommended levels, and ranked 19th. In previous years, New York has ranked as high as 5th in the nation.

Other key findings for New York include:

• In the past year, New York has cut state funding for its tobacco prevention program by 31 percent, from $80.4 to $55.2. This $25.2 million cut is the largest of any state. Governor David Paterson proposed and the Legislature enacted the latest round of cuts just last week.
• New York this year will collect $2.13 billion from the 1998 tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.6 percent of it on tobacco prevention programs.
• The tobacco companies spend $429.6 million a year to market their products in New York. This is more than 7 times what the state spends on tobacco prevention.

The annual report on states' funding of tobacco prevention programs, 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 the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

New York has been a national leader in fighting tobacco use with a well-funded Tobacco Control Program, a strong smoke-free workplace law and a high cigarette tax of $2.75 per pack. As a result, New York has reduced its adult smoking rate to 16.8 percent and its high school smoking rate to 13.8 percent, both well below the national rates of 20.6 percent and 20 percent. However, the huge cut in funding for tobacco prevention programs has put the state's progress at risk.

"New York has led the nation in fighting tobacco use, but the state this year has taken a big step backward and decimated funding for tobacco prevention," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Unless Governor Patterson and the Legislature act quickly to restore funding, New York will pay a high price in lives and dollars. Even in these difficult budget times, tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."

Despite the state's progress, 20,900 New York kids become regular smokers every year. Each year in New York, tobacco claims 25,400 lives and costs the state $8.2 billion in health care bills.

Eleven years after the 1998 state tobacco settlement, the new report finds that the states this year are collecting record amounts of revenue from the tobacco industry, but are spending less of it on tobacco prevention. Key national findings of the report include:

• The states this year will collect $25.1 billion from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend just 2.3 percent of it - $567.5 million - on tobacco prevention programs. It would take less than 15 percent of their tobacco revenue to fund tobacco prevention programs in every state at CDC-recommended levels.
• In the past year, states have cut funding for tobacco prevention programs by more than 15 percent, or $103.4 million.
• Only one state - North Dakota - currently funds a tobacco prevention program at the CDC-recommended level.
• Only nine other states fund prevention programs at even half the CDC-recommended amount, while 31 states and DC are providing less than a quarter of the recommended funding.

The report warns that the nation's progress in reducing smoking is at risk unless states increase funding for programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The United States has significantly reduced smoking among both youth and adults, but the CDC's most recent survey showed that smoking declines among adults have stalled.

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.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The following is a statement by Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

Governor David Paterson's decision to cut an additional $10 million out of the funding for New York state's effective and successful tobacco prevention program is shortsighted and in the long run will cost lives and money. It is a genuinely penny wise and pound foolish decision. New York state's tobacco prevention program has had dramatic success dropping smoking rates for both kids and adults well below the national average. It is saving lives and saving New York's taxpayers money.

Just six years ago in 2003, New York's adult smoking rate stood at 21.6 percent, right at the national average. But the state wisely invested in an evidence-based tobacco prevention and cessation program, increased its tobacco tax, and passed a strong smoke-free law. The result of that prudent investment has never been more evident than two weeks ago when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the national adult smoking rate had gone up for the first time in several years to 20.6 percent. At the same time, New York state smoking rates for adults dropped to 16.8 percent, well below the national rate, while smoking rates for kids in New York state dropped to an astonishing 13.8 percent, also well below the national rate. New York state's exemplary work in bringing down smoking rates could be undone in a hurry if Governor Paterson's budget ax is allowed to fall.

Last year, the budget for tobacco prevention in New York state was cut by $17 million dollars and that was bad enough. Now the Governor is proposing an additional $10 million dollar cut and there is no guarantee that further cuts are not just around the corner. If Governor Paterson's plan is implemented, it will almost certainly decimate one of the most successful programs the State of New York maintains.

While these are indeed tough budget times, it makes no sense to cut a program that is saving lives and healthcare dollars and that has already been severely cut. It does make sense to spend just a small fraction of the more than $2 billion New York collects in tobacco settlement payments and tobacco taxes to fund this vital program.

Even with the success of New York state's tobacco prevention efforts, there is still an uphill battle ongoing to drive down smoking related costs in the state. The sad reality is that 25,400 New Yorkers die annually from smoking- related disease, and more than 20,000 New York kids become regular smokers each year.. And healthcare costs associated with tobacco use in New York state amount to a staggering $8.17 billion annually.

Instead of cutting New York state's budget for tobacco prevention, Governor Paterson should do everything in his power to restore the cuts already made and hold out New York's tobacco prevention efforts as an outstanding example of a government program that works. If he chooses to hold to his current plan, he deserves all the opprobrium he will almost certainly get from legislators, media, and the citizens of the State of New York.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

A Broward Circuit Court Jury returned a $300 million verdict against Philip Morris USA within hours of closing arguments this afternoon in favor of Cindy Naugle, the sister of Jim Naugle, a former mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Naugle, 61, who stopped smoking in 1993, smoked her first cigarette in 1968 when she was twenty years old because she thought they "made her look older." She told the jury that had she known then what the tobacco companies already knew, but had concealed, namely that nicotine is a highly-additive drug and cigarettes were considered by Philip Morris to be a "drug delivery device," she never would have taken that first puff. The jury assessed $56.6 million against Philip Morris for Naugle's past and future medical expenses as well as for her pain and suffering. It also assessed punitive damages in the amount of $244 million to punish the company for its misconduct. The jury also found Ms. Naugle was 10% responsible because of her decision to start smoking.

Ms. Naugle, who tried unsuccessfully to quit smoking for many years, now needs 24-hour oxygen and must travel in a wheelchair because the simple act of walking leaves her exhausted. "Cindy admitted her fault to the jury," said her attorney, Robert W. Kelley of the Fort Lauderdale law firm Kelley/Uustal. "But Philip Morris refused to accept any responsibility for her emphysema, even though she was an addicted customer for 25 years," he added.

Naugle was finally able to stop smoking in 1993 when the nicotine patch became available, after 25 years of heavy smoking. "The jury saw her condition. We think that they felt it. She needed to rest for five minutes to catch her breath after making the 7 step walk to the witness stand." said Attorney Todd Falzone, who along with Kelley and attorney Todd McPharlin, represented Naugle in the three-week trial. "Cindy spends every minute of every day as if she were drowning," said Kelley.

Ms. Naugle's lawsuit, one of the cases that have come to be known as the Engle Progeny cases, stems from the 2000 verdict in the Engle v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co class action lawsuit. In 2006 the Florida Supreme Court de-certified the class allowing the way for individual plaintiffs, damaged by "Big Tobacco's" conduct to file individual lawsuits. Today's verdict is by far the largest verdict to date in those cases.

Kelley went on to say: "The cigarette companies managed to hide the truth about their product for a long time, but the truth is out now. And when the jury finally hears the truth about what these companies knew and when they knew it, they almost always side with the addicted smokers, most of whom started smoking as teenagers before there were any warning labels on cigarette packs." Kelley predicts the industry is in for a long series of losses because "most Americans are fed-up with corporate fraud and misconduct."

The former Mayor was with his sister throughout the long trial, assisting with her oxygen needs and helping her get in and out of the courtroom.

Attorneys from Kelley/Uustal representing Ms. Naugle included: Robert W. Kelley, Todd R. Falzone, and Todd R. McPharlin.

SOURCE Kelley / Uustal

The following is a statement from Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

Massachusetts today announced extraordinary results from its aggressive efforts to help Medicaid beneficiaries quit smoking by providing easy access to coverage for smoking cessation medication and counseling.

Massachusetts reported that smoking rates among beneficiaries in its MassHealth program plunged by 26 percent in the first two and a half years after the state began providing coverage of smoking cessation in July 2006. Costly medical procedures among those who utilized the cessation benefit also fell dramatically. Among benefit users, there were 38 percent fewer hospitalizations for heart attacks and 17 percent fewer emergency-room visits for asthma symptoms in the first year after using the benefit. There were 17 percent fewer claims for maternal birth complications since the benefit was implemented, state health officials reported.

Massachusetts is leading the way in demonstrating that health insurance coverage for smoking cessation quickly improves health and saves lives, and no doubt reduces health care costs as well. These findings have major implications as Congress debates health care reform. They underscore why Congress should require health care coverage for smoking cessation, including for everyone in Medicaid. The House-passed health reform bill does so, and the Senate should as well. Health care reform should also provide robust funding for community-based prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns that prevent kids from starting to smoke and encourage smokers to quit.

It is also critical that Massachusetts increase funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation programs. As Massachusetts reported today, its new cessation benefit was coupled with an aggressive promotion campaign run by the Massachusetts Tobacco Cessation and Prevention Program that included radio and transit advertising and extensive community outreach. Unfortunately, Massachusetts in the past two years has cut funding for its tobacco prevention and cessation program by 65 percent. Including a federal grant, funding this year is just $6.1 million, which is less than seven percent of the $90 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To continue reducing tobacco use, Massachusetts must increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation.

Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation is critical as smoking is much more prevalent among lower-income Americans than in the population as a whole. The CDC reported last week that, in 2008, 31.5 percent of adults living below the federal poverty level smoked, compared to 20.6 percent of all adults. Medicaid costs attributable to smoking total $22 billion annually, and represent 11 percent of all Medicaid expenditures, according to the CDC. Yet, according to another recent CDC study, only six states in 2007 provided the recommended full coverage of all tobacco-dependence treatments (FDA-approved medications and counseling) to help smokers quit.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, killing more than 400,000 Americans and costing $96 billion in health care bills each year. The new Massachusetts results demonstrate once again that we know how to dramatically reduce tobacco use and its devastating toll in health, lives and dollars. What's needed is a political commitment to implement proven solutions, including health care coverage for smoking cessation and aggressive, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The following is a statement by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids President Matthew L. Meyers:

The government's report today that adult smoking declines have stalled since 2004 is an urgent warning to elected officials that it is premature to declare victory over tobacco and much more must be done to continue reducing tobacco use, which remains the number one preventable cause of death in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the adult smoking rate in 2008 was 20.6 percent - essentially unchanged since 2004, when 20.9 percent smoked. In fact, the 2008 survey found a small but disturbing uptick in the percentage of smokers, from 19.8 percent in 2007. While the CDC said this increase was not statistically significant, it is the first increase in the adult smoking rate since 1994.

There is no question that we know how to significantly reduce tobacco use, as demonstrated by sharp reductions in adult smoking over the past several decades and a remarkable 45 percent reduction in high school smoking since 1997 (from a peak of 36.4 percent to 20 percent in 2007). But it is also clear from the recent stall in progress that elected officials at all levels must redouble efforts to implement scientifically proven strategies that prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from secondhand smoke. The challenge today is to resist complacency and finally fight tobacco use with the political will and the resources that match the scope of the problem.

Congress and President Obama have taken major strides this year by approving a 62-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax and enacting the new law granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authority to regulate tobacco products and marketing. The 2008 data released today does not reflect the impact of the federal cigarette tax increase, which took effect on April 1 of this year. There is evidence that the cigarette tax increase has already had a significant impact. Cigarette manufacturers reported a 10 percent decline in cigarette sales in the third quarter of this year, and calls by smokers to smoking cessation quitlines increased dramatically following the tax increase.

However, there is much more that must be done at all levels of government:

• The pending health care reform legislation presents Congress with an immediate opportunity for action. It is vital that health care reform include robust funding for community-based prevention initiatives, including tobacco prevention and cessation, that prevent costly diseases. Congress should also require that private and public insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover tobacco cessation services for all beneficiaries. Today's report revealed that almost half of current smokers tried to quit in the past year but were unable to do so successfully. Providing evidence-based interventions will help them succeed. The House-passed health care reform bill achieves these goals, and the Senate bill should as well. With these actions, health care reform can be the first step toward putting in place a national campaign to prevent children from starting to smoke and help smokers quit.
• States must invigorate their efforts to implement three proven strategies to reduce tobacco use: higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws and well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs. Most states have woefully underfunded their tobacco prevention programs, and in the past year, many have cut them substantially due to fiscal crises. Rather than take these backward steps, states should hike tobacco taxes to help fill budget gaps and use some of the revenue to fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
  

Why have smoking declines stalled in recent years? The CDC and other experts have cited several factors, including deep discounts used by tobacco companies to offset tax increases, significant increases in overall tobacco marketing since the 1998 state tobacco settlement and cuts to state tobacco prevention and cessation programs.

It's really very simple. When we increase tobacco prices and fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs, smoking rates go down. When prices stay flat and programs are cut, rates go up. Between 1997 and 2004, the average real (inflation-adjusted) retail price of a pack of cigarettes increased by 63 percent, while adult smoking declined by 15.3 percent. Between 2004 and 2008, the real price of cigarettes increased by just 2 percent, while adult smoking declined by just 1.4 percent (source of price data: The Tax Burden on Tobacco, 2008). Likewise, studies have shown a dose-response relationship between spending on tobacco prevention and cessation programs and both youth and adult smoking declines.

Tobacco use causes more than 400,000 preventable deaths each year and costs the nation nearly $200 billion in health expenditures and lost productivity. The cost of tobacco use in health, lives and dollars is too steep to allow backsliding. We know what works to reduce tobacco use among both youths and adults. What's needed is the political will to implement these solutions as aggressively as the tobacco industry promotes its deadly products.

The CDC report, published in the November 13, 2009, issue of the CDC Journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, can be found at www.cdc.gov/mmwr.

SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

The impact of smoking on your health is well documented. But counselors at Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta know that it can also wreak havoc on a person's financial health. Whether it's helping people struggling with credit card debt or trying to avoid foreclosure, counselors find that tobacco use adds a significant amount to monthly household expenditures and they advise consumers to consider reducing or quitting smoking to save money.

A pack-a-day smoker spending an average of $5.15 per pack could save $1,879 per year by quitting smoking. These funds could be used to cover living expenses, reduce household debt or start a savings plan. Invested in a basic savings plan paying just 3 percent interest, you would have in excess of $21,000 after 10 years. Over 30 years, that figure climbs to more than $91,000.

"Quitting smoking is good for more than just your physical health," said Michelle Jones, Senior Vice President of Counseling for CCCS of Greater Atlanta. "Reducing or eliminating tobacco use can significantly increase the amount of money consumers have to use to pay off outstanding debt."

Even homeowners struggling to make their mortgage payments and seeking a loan modification may be able to benefit by reducing or quitting smoking.

"Any reduction in spending will show the mortgage company that there is more income to put toward a homeowner's monthly budget," said Jones. "The better their budget looks, the more likely the lender is to offer a favorable workout, such as a loan modification."

This year's Great American Smokeout is November 19, but any day is a good day to give up smoking. "Our clients get a great deal of satisfaction when they quit smoking," added Jones. "It's a great first step in improving their physical and fiscal health."

The financial benefits of quitting extend beyond just the cost of cigarettes.

Increased Employment Opportunities and Productivity - Some employers have begun hiring only non-smoking employees or instituting "no smoking" policies in an effort to reduce overall health care costs and increase productivity.

Reduced Health Care and Insurance Costs - Non-smokers often enjoy lower health and life insurance premiums and general healthcare costs than smokers. In Georgia, state employees who smoke pay $40 more per month for health insurance than non-smokers. Many states have enacted similar policies for smokers, including higher deductibles and increased co-pay rates. Average life insurance premiums for smokers can be double that of non-smokers. Non-smokers may also be eligible for discounts on homeowners' insurance premiums.

Decreasing Values on Assets - According to Carmax, a used vehicle owned by a smoker will narrow the market of potential buyers and can result in lower trade-in or resale values than comparable vehicles owned by non-smokers. Similarly, general maintenance costs on a home are higher for smokers and a home that has been smoked in can be harder to sell.

For more information and tips to quit smoking, visit the American Lung Association at www.lungusa.org.

SOURCE Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta