WASHINGTON, D.C. -- August 13, 2007 -- In an effort to urge Congress to put children’s health ahead of the tobacco industry’s bottom line, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN) this week is sponsoring ads across the country asking Congress to grant the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory authority over tobacco products.
ACS CAN, the sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society, is sponsoring print advertising on FDA regulation of tobacco in seven targeted states during the August recess.
The ads are part of a series that began running in Capitol Hill publications in March of this year, featuring the face of a child above the words, "WE CAN put my health before tobacco company profits." The text of this ad goes on to read, "Nine out of 10 adult smokers started smoking when they were kids. Congress must immediately grant the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco to stop marketing that targets children. With tobacco use being the number one preventable cause of cancer, ACS CAN is counting on our Congressional leaders to protect all Americans and save lives."
The Family Smoking Prevention Tobacco Control Act (S. 625/H.R. 1108) would restrict tobacco advertising and promotions, especially to children; stop illegal sales of tobacco products to children; require changes in tobacco products, such as the removal of harmful ingredients or the reduction of nicotine levels; and require larger and more informative health warnings on tobacco products.
"The tobacco industry for decades has taken advantage of the lack of federal regulation to aggressively market its deadly products to children who then become lifelong smokers," said Daniel E. Smith, President, ACS CAN. "The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has now given bipartisan support and a huge boost of momentum to critical public health legislation to give the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products and to bar the marketing of these products to children."
ACS CAN’s tobacco control efforts also include urging Congress to increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes. A 61-cent increase already passed in the Senate would reduce the costs of smoking-related pregnancy complications by $420 million, save $200 million nationally in treating lung cancer and save states and the federal government nearly $12 billion in tobacco-related Medicaid expenses in the five years after implementation. The tax would also prevent nearly 1.9 million U.S. children from becoming lifelong tobacco users and more than 900,000 Americans from dying prematurely because of smoking.
In addition to the tobacco regulation ads, ACS CAN, is also sponsoring print ads in eight targeted states that highlight the importance of funding medical research that at least keeps pace with medical inflation.
The ad emphasizes the need to boost government investment in cancer research and reverse the trend of declining funding in recent years that could stall progress in the fight against cancer. In short, the ad calls on lawmakers to get aggressive and find more money for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill.
The ad features the face of a concerned woman above the words, "We CAN fight harder for the millions fighting cancer." The text goes on to say, "Cancer is aggressive. Congress and the President should be too. But their current budget proposals will result in cuts to many cancer research, early detection and prevention programs, keeping many promising new treatments from reaching patients. ACS CAN is counting on lawmakers to fully fund investments in research and give hope to families in cancer's path."
The ad concludes with, "Call1-888-NOW-I-CAN to tell your Senator: FULLY FUND CANCER RESEARCH NOW."
"We must begin to make up ground from years of flat or declining NIH funding or we risk undercutting the progress we’ve made against cancer," said Dr. John R. Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "In every city across this country, cancer patients and those at risk of cancer are depending on ground-breaking research, clinical trials and programs that promote prevention and early detection to help them defeat this disease."
Both ads may be viewed on the ACS CAN Web site at www.fightcancer.org.
ACS CAN is the nonprofit, nonpartisan sister advocacy organization of the American Cancer Society, which is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage lawmakers, candidates and government officials to support laws and policies that will make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org.