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The new Congress plans to move aggressively against the tobacco industry in coming months by regulating cigarettes, raising per-pack sales taxes and ratifying an international antitobacco treaty, according to aides for key lawmakers and experts who expect the Obama administration to break a logjam on smoking issues.
The measures, which even tobacco executives acknowledge as nearly inevitable, are ones that the Bush administration opposed, vetoed or declined to act upon but that President-elect Barack Obama, himself an intermittent smoker, supported as a senator.
The steps include legislation giving the Food and Drug Administration broad authority over cigarettes for the first time. . . .
In the House, Henry A. Waxman of California, a Democrat and chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, plans to move quickly with the F.D.A. legislation
"We hope for early action on the bill in the new Congress," Melissa Wagoner, a spokeswoman for Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, said of the landmark legislation, which Mr. Kennedy has promoted for years.
Robert Gibbs, Mr. Obama's spokesman and incoming press secretary, said by e-mail on Sunday that Mr. Obama supported the measures when he was in Congress but had not made any decisions yet about actions on them in the White House.
Matthew L. Myers, the head of a nonprofit antismoking group, said on Monday, "The election of Barack Obama changes everything." . . .
Democratic leaders in both houses of Congress, whose new members will be sworn in on Tuesday, have also said they hope to pass legislation to raise federal cigarette taxes by 61 cents, to $1 a pack. That may even be among the economic measures awaiting Mr. Obama's signature as soon as he takes office Jan. 20, according to Congressional aides and antismoking lobbyists. . . .
As a third step against smoking, Congressional aides and lobbyists on both sides expect the new president to submit an international tobacco control treaty to the Senate for ratification. . . .
In this country, an estimated 45 million people smoke. That number is unchanged since 1990, the American Lung Association says, although the number of cigarettes smoked has declined by one-third. . . .
The Democrats who are expected to help reinforce the efforts against tobacco include Tom Daschle, the president-elect's choice for health and human services secretary, who has been an ardent opponent of the cigarette industry.
And among those whose names are being circulated as candidates to head the F.D.A. is Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, the antismoking health commissioner for Baltimore and a former investigator for Representative Waxman. It was Mr. Waxman who convened the memorable 1994 hearing where seven tobacco executives swore under oath that nicotine was not addictive.
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The election of Barack Obama changes everything. . . . I think that 2009 has the potential to be the most historic year in making progress on tobacco at the federal level since the first surgeon general's report in 1964.Matthew L. Myers, "the head of a nonprofit antismoking group" (sez the Times). Quick action is expected on FDA regulation, a federal tax increase and ratification of the Framework Convention
A study released today by the CDC Office on Smoking and Health found a significant and sustained drop in heart attack hospitalizations in Pueblo, Colorado, after the implementation of a workplace and public places smoke-free law. The study, released this week in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, found the decrease was sustained over a three-year period. This is the first study to look at the link between smoke-free laws and heart attack hospital admission rates over a three-year period of time.
Researchers also looked at nearby similar sized communities that had not passed smoke-free laws, and found no substantial decrease in heart attack hospitalizations in those communities over the same time period. The new study from Colorado adds to evidence from other communities and countries that smoke-free laws improve public health, that benefits can occur quickly, and that they are sustained over time.
The need for protection from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and public places has never been clearer. In issuing a groundbreaking report on secondhand smoke in June 2006, U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona stated, "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults."
But some government experts argue that in this particular transition, a wider-than-usual ideological gap separates the outgoing Bush administration and the incoming Obama team and that both sides are likely to view the other as extreme.
"The incoming Bush people were all about stopping regulation. The Obama people will do their best to accelerate regulation that they think protects the environment, workers, airline safety, et cetera," said Paul Light, a New York University professor of government who has served as a consultant on the transition to The Washington Post. "That's not barbarians at the gate. It's a difference of philosophy." . . .
Besides Achtenberg and Lee, other transition advisers' past positions are sending off flares in the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party. None of them responded to requests for comment.
William V. Corr, a vocal tobacco-control activist at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, publicly attacked the Bush administration in 2006 for weakening the government's prosecution of tobacco companies and its chances for regulating tobacco. Now he is making recommendations for strengthening the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of millions of other grocery and drugstore products, though he has recused himself from discussing tobacco.
According to a study from UNC at Chapel Hill, researchers conclude NC is making huge strides in tobacco use prevention.
The report says that many of the gains made in the last year are models for other states across the U.S.
"According to a recent report from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids marking the 10th anniversary of the Master Settlement Agreement, most states are not spending enough of their money on tobacco prevention," said Dr. Adam Goldstein, UNC program director. "But relative to other major tobacco-producing states, our evaluation shows North Carolina's investment in youth tobacco prevention is substantial, and the positive outcomes that have resulted are truly encouraging."
The UNC report's findings and highlights include:
- In 2007, teen tobacco use among North Carolina youths dropped to the lowest levels ever recorded. Cigarette use among middle school students declined to 4.5 percent from 5.8 percent in 2005, and cigarette use by high school students also dropped to 19 percent from 20.3 percent in 2005.
In a Dec. 18 story about tobacco-growing states' proposals to raise cigarette taxes, The Associated Press misstated the name of an anti-smoking advocacy group on second reference. It is the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, not smoke-free kids.
The issue: The federal government recommends almost a six-fold increase in spending on anti-tobacco programs.
Our opinion: We agree with a recommendation that the increase be funded by increasing taxes on tobacco. . . .
But Tobacco Free Kids is on the money with its recommendation to increase taxes on tobacco in order to fund fully the anti-tobacco programs. In Pennsylvania, that would mean raising an additional $123.3 million to close the gap, or increasing tobacco taxes by slightly more than 11 percent.
The higher cost would dissuade some people from smoking, but the real benefit would be from effective programs that persuade kids not to start and help others to kick the habit. The overall effect would be an improvement in public health and a decreased strain on health-care budgets.
To us, that sounds like a good use of tax money.
It is good news for the nation's health that the 2008 Monitoring the Future survey released today finds that smoking rates among 8th, 10th and 12th graders have declined to the lowest levels recorded in this survey for all three grades.� However, like other recent surveys of youth and adult smoking, this survey also shows that smoking declines have slowed in recent years.� It would be a serious mistake to declare premature victory in the battle against tobacco use when one in five high school seniors still smokes.
This survey confirms that we know how to dramatically reduce tobacco use.� But elected officials at all levels must resist complacency and step up the fight against the nation's number one cause of preventable death.� It is especially critical that the incoming Administration and Congress provide long-missing national leadership by enacting legislation granting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over tobacco products. Among other things, this legislation would crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids.
There is much to celebrate in the Monitoring the Future survey . . .
These declines are powerful evidence that scientifically proven solutions, implemented primarily at the state and local level, are working.� These include higher cigarette prices resulting from state cigarette tax increases and the 1998 state tobacco settlement; effective, well-funded tobacco prevention programs run by some states and nationally by the American Legacy Foundation; and a growing number of state and local laws requiring smoke-free workplaces and public places.
However, smoking declines among both youth and adults have slowed in recent years, following budget cuts to some tobacco prevention and cessation programs and huge increases in tobacco marketing expenditures. . . .
Congress should enact legislation granting the FDA authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing and sale of tobacco products. The U.S. House of Representatives on July 30 voted 326 to 102 to approve this legislation, and it has 60 sponsors in the Senate, including President-elect Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. �This legislation presents the incoming Administration and Congress with the opportunity for an early, bipartisan victory that would significantly improve the nation's health.
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Congress should also significantly increase the federal tobacco tax, fund national and state-based tobacco prevention and cessation campaigns, and require coverage by all public and private health plans of interventions (including counseling and medications) proven to help smokers quit.
Every state should fund a tobacco prevention and cessation program at the level recommended
The Dallas City Council today delivered a major victory for the public's right to breathe clean air by voting to strengthen the city's smoke-free workplace law to include bars and pool halls. Today's vote recognizes that no one should have to put their health at risk in order to earn a paycheck or enjoy a night out. We urge the Texas Legislature to follow the lead of Dallas and a growing number of Texas cities and pass a strong, statewide smoke-free law that includes ALL workplaces and protects ALL workers and the public from the proven health risks of secondhand smoke.
Dallas joins 21 other Texas cities and towns -- including Houston, Austin, El Paso and Abilene -- in passing strong smoke-free workplace laws. We applaud Mayor Tom Leppert, Mayor Pro Tem Elba Garcia, Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dwayne Carraway, and Council members Carolyn Davis, Angela Hunt, Ron Natinsky, Jerry Allen, Pauline Madrano, Linda Koop and David Neumann for voting for the bill today. This action adds to the growing momentum across the country and around the world to protect all workers and the public from secondhand smoke.
Twenty-four states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico -- as well as hundreds of cities and towns -- have passed smoke-free laws that cover restaurants and bars. . . .
It's time for Texas to join the growing number of states and communities that have taken action to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air.
-An Obama transition adviser for health and human services, Bill Corr, lobbied to prevent children from smoking as executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. The group has spent $675,000 this year trying to influence policymakers. Corr has told Obama he will not offer advice on tobacco issues.
The Youth Advocates of the Year Awards honor top youth advocates from across the country -- youth who have fought hard to promote tobacco prevention legislation in their home states, to reduce tobacco marketing to kids in their communities and to stop their peers from using tobacco.
Want to nominate someone for the 2009 Youth Advocate of the Year Award? Download the nomination packet.
The 13th Annual Youth Advocates of the Year Gala: Help us celebrate the future of tobacco control. Save the date for May 6, 2009.
The government of Colombia took historic action this week to protect the health and lives of its citizens by implementing a sweeping smoke-free decree that applies to all indoor workplaces and public places. The decree was first introduced in May of 2008 and went into effect this week. It requires that all indoor workplaces and public places be smoke-free, including restaurants, bars, public transportation and medical and educational institutes.
The smoke-free decree is a major step forward in protecting the health of Colombia's 46 million residents and workers from the deadly effects of secondhand smoke and adds momentum to the growing smoke-free movement in Latin American and the world.
In Latin America, Colombia joins Uruguay, Panama, Mexico and five Argentinean provinces in having strong smoke-free laws and policies.
Delivering good news for our nation's health, a new report released by the nation's leading cancer organizations finds that, for the first time, both the incidence and deaths rates for all cancers combined are decreasing for both men and women, driven in part by declines in smoking and lung cancer. The report attributes much of the overall progress to declines in the three most common cancers among men (lung, colon/rectum and prostate) and the two most common cancers among women (breast and colon/rectum), combined with a leveling off of lung cancer death rates among women. . . .
This report provides powerful and concrete evidence that efforts to reduce smoking, particularly at the state and local level, are paying off by saving lives and improving health. However, the report also provides troubling evidence that the federal government and the states are not doing nearly enough to implement scientifically proven solutions to reduce smoking. Lung cancer — the vast majority of which is caused by smoking — remains by far the leading cancer killer among both men and women. In addition, there are large state and regional disparities in lung cancer trends, especially among women, and these disparities not surprisingly coincide with higher smoking rates and fewer tobacco control activities. There is no question that, to win the war against cancer, we must also step up the fight against smoking, which causes 30 percent of all cancers, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
In many ways, we have become a nation of haves and have-nots when it comes to reducing smoking and lung cancer. The most successful states have implemented a comprehensive, scientifically proven strategy that includes higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free workplace laws and well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs. In California, the first state to implement such a comprehensive strategy, lung cancer death rates declined an average of 2.8 percent per year among men from 1996 to 2005, more than twice the decline seen in many states in the Midwest and the South, the new report shows. In contrast, lung cancer death rates among women increased from 1996 through 2005 in 13 states and decreased only in three. As the report notes, these 13 states have higher percentages of female smokers, low tobacco excise tax rates, fewer tobacco control activities and local economies that are traditionally dependent on tobacco farming and production.
Every single case of tobacco-caused cancer is ultimately preventable.
Vermont ranks seventh in the country for funding programs aimed at reducing cigarette smoking, but it is still spending millions of dollars less each year than the recommended federal level, according to a new study.
The state plans to spend $6.1 million this year in tobacco prevention efforts, according to a report released last week by a coalition of health organizations, but that number falls short of the $10.4 million recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vermont's tobacco prevention spending is closer to the recommended levels than 43 other states, but advocacy organizations and health professionals stressed this week that the state needs to begin placing more resources toward preventing smoking.
"One of our disappointments with Vermont is that the state is within striking distance of reaching that CDC number," said Kevin O'Flaherty, the Northeast director of advocacy for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
Ten years after the tobacco settlement, South Carolina has slid back to its worst-in-the-nation status in what it spends to keep people from smoking, according a report released Tuesday by a coalition of public health groups.
South Carolina will collect $114 million this year from the tobacco settlement and taxes, but it is the only state that doesn't plan to spend any state money to help people quit smoking and prevent others from taking up the habit.
It had shared that distinction with Connecticut, but legislators there were considering a plan Tuesday to add nearly $7 million to its federal spending, and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids used the proposed figures in the report.
In South Carolina, a $1 million grant from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will pay for a scaled-back 800-number quit line and some education in the schools, state officials said.
"South Carolina is the most disappointing state in the nation when it comes to funding programs to protect kids from tobacco," Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a release. "Tobacco prevention is a smart investment that reduces smoking, saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."
When Utah got involved with 46 states and sued the nation's major tobacco companies 10 years ago, the companies settled and agreed to pay the states to recover tobacco-related health-care costs. Part of the money was to be used to fund tobacco-reduction programs.
Utah did just that. According to a statement issued by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the state spends $8.2 million per year on tobacco-prevention programs, which is 17th in the nation for anti-tobacco programs.
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Utah spend $23.6 million of the $105 million it receives, an amount that would have the most impact for reducing tobacco use.
"Utah had made a modest investment in programs to protect kids from tobacco, but is spending less than half what the CDC recommends," said president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Matthew L. Myers.