CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Today, cancer patients, survivors and caregivers from across the Mountain State traveled to the Capitol to meet with their elected officials during Cancer Action Day. They let lawmakers know that West Virginia can and must do better to reduce the toll of tobacco on West Virginians.
Currently, West Virginia ranks last when it comes to investing in fact-based programs to reduce tobacco use while having the highest rate of smoking-attributable cancer deaths, with 37% of cancer deaths caused by smoking in the state.
Advocates met with lawmakers to ask them to improve these numbers and reduce tobacco use by increasing West Virginia’s investment in fact-based programs to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help those already addicted quit.
One avenue for this was to ask for support for House Bill 3290, which would invest $5 million in fact-based programs that help prevent tobacco use and help those already addicted quit. A well-funded tobacco cessation and prevention program is essential to provide the support needed to help people quit and to prevent kids and young adults from starting to use tobacco.
Advocates also asked lawmakers to invest millions in JUUL settlement funds, which will be paid in annual payments over the next several years, into fact-based youth prevention programs. West Virginia has an opportunity to address tobacco use and protect our middle and high school students from deadly and addictive tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.
An estimated 13,250 West Virginians will be diagnosed with cancer, and 4,750 are expected to die from the devastating disease this year. Those gathered at the Capitol called on West Virginia lawmakers to lower the enormous cancer burden by taking steps to prioritize policies that reduce tobacco use.