Washington, D.C. – November 19, 2009 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) today celebrated the 34th Great American Smokeout by encouraging state and local lawmakers to protect the health of all Americans by enacting comprehensive smoke-free laws, increasing state tobacco taxes and fully funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs.
“State and local smoke-free laws, higher tobacco excise taxes and fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs improve the health of our nation’s communities,” said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. “By passing these important laws, we have helped more Americans quit smoking, prevented youth from ever starting, and reduced the number of people exposed to deadly secondhand smoke in workplaces.”
The Society and ACS CAN have been waging hard-fought campaigns to raise state and federal tobacco excise taxes and implement comprehensive smoke-free laws in states, counties and municipalities. Since 2002, 46 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories have raised their cigarette tax, including 14 states and the District of Columbia in 2009 alone. Additionally, 31 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted smoke-free laws that require 100 percent smoke-free workplaces, and/or restaurants, and/or bars.
“Despite major progress in recent years to enact strong tobacco control measures at the state and local levels, only 40 percent of the population is covered by comprehensive smoke-free laws,” said Daniel E. Smith, president of ACS CAN. “Clearly, there is still much more work that needs to be done to protect kids and adults from the dangers of cigarettes and other tobacco products.”
Several tobacco control successes at the federal level in 2009 promise to have a major impact in discouraging people from smoking and prohibiting the tobacco industry from misleading children and adults about the hazards of tobacco use.
The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which was signed into law in June, grants the Food and Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing and sale of tobacco products. Additionally, a 62-cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax will serve as a life-saving deterrent to the 46 million Americans who currently smoke and the 3,500 children who try their first cigarette every day.
The Great American Smokeout began more than 30 years ago as a platform to encourage smokers to quit. Since then, the platform has expanded to not only encourage smokers to make a plan to quit, but also to encourage all Americans to advocate for comprehensive smoke-free laws that help protect workers and patrons from exposure to secondhand smoke. Smokers who want to quit can call the American Cancer Society Quit for Life® Program operated and managed by Free & Clear® at 1-800-227-2345 for tobacco cessation and coaching service that can help increase their chances for quitting for good.
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Christina Saull
(202) 585-3250
[email protected]
Steve Weiss
(202) 661-5711
[email protected]