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50 Years Later: ACS CAN is Leading the Fight Against Tobacco
December 30, 2013
On January 11, 2014, the United States will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon GeneralÈs report on smoking and health. This landmark 1964 report forever changed AmericansÈ understanding of the deadly consequences of smoking by showing the direct link to developing lung cancer. By galvanizing the American Cancer SocietyÈs efforts to end death and disease from cancer, this report was a historic turning point in the nationÈs fight against tobacco use.
Since our inception in 2001, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) has been a leader in the fight against the tobacco industry. We have continued the progress in the fight against tobacco through pushing needed changes to public policy and advocating for strong legislative action at every level of government.
Over the last decade, ACS CAN has made remarkable progress:
- 24 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have smoke-free laws in effect that require 100 percent smoke-free workplaces, restaurants, and bars.
- 47 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories have raised their cigarette tax in more than 100 separate instances.
- The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 was passed granting the Food and Drug administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, and sales of tobacco products.
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon GeneralÈs report on smoking and health, there is still much more work to be done. Since 1964, smoking by US adults has been reduced by half, but nearly 44 million Americans nearly 1 in every 5 adults still smoke and more than 440,000 Americans are dying every year.
On the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon GeneralÈs report, itÈs time for the United States to commit to ending the tobacco epidemic and winning the fight against the nationÈs number one cause of preventable death.ξ By fully implementing proven strategies, we can drastically reduce smoking rates, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke and put the nation on a path to ultimately eliminate the death and disease caused by tobacco.
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