Nebraska Legislature Must Address Tobacco Crisis
Action Needed to Reduce the Burden of Cancer on Nebraskans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 15, 2015 – Attempts to quit using cigarettes by adults stalled between 2011 and 2013, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). The article, entitled “Trends in Quit Attempts Among Adult Cigarette Smokers — United States, 2001–2013,” is featured in this week’s issue of the CDC journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The report details that while quit attempts increased steadily from 2001 to 2010, and there were some isolated increases among adults attempting to quit from 2011 to 2013, overall adult quit attempts have remained steady.
A statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) follows:
“While CDC data offers promising news showing two thirds of adult smokers making an attempt to quit tobacco, the data indicating quit attempts stalled between 2011 and 2013 is troubling and may be the result of lack of clarity around tobacco cessation coverage required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the Affordable Care Act, most private health plans must cover comprehensive cessation services, including both FDA-approved medications and counseling, at no cost to the smoker. These services offer the best opportunity to help smokers quit a powerful and deadly addiction. The administration has an opportunity to remove barriers to cessation tools by updating guidance defining required minimum coverage.
“Congress could further hinder quit attempt progress by adopting a proposed cut in the House Labor Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, which would likely eliminate funding for the highly successful and cost-effective ‘Tips from Former Smokers Campaign’ and reduce funding for state tobacco prevention programs and state quitlines. In 2012 the Tips Campaign ran for 12 weeks and motivated 1.6 million Americans to make a quit attempt, helped 100,000 smokers to quit for good, and saved approximately 17,000 people from a premature death.
“Federal and state lawmakers have an opportunity to both impact adult quit attempts and prevent young people from starting the deadly habit by passing and implementing proven tobacco control approaches that include raising the price of tobacco products, implementing comprehensive smoke-free policies and fully funding and sustaining evidenced-based, statewide tobacco prevention and cessation programs. States with comprehensive tobacco control programs experience faster declines in cigarette sales, smoking prevalence and lung cancer incidence and mortality than states that do not invest in these programs.
“Additionally, full implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act can significantly reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco. It is imperative that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) immediately assert its regulatory authority over all tobacco products. It is truly disconcerting that teenagers are increasingly turning to other products that are produced and sold without any federal oversight. It’s time for the FDA to act and ensure our children are protected from the predatory practices of the tobacco industry.
“Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in this country, killing more than 480,000 Americans each year. Lawmakers at all levels of government have a crucial role to play in ensuring the tobacco industry cannot keep adults hooked and addict our children to its deadly products by enacting legislation to support measures that are proven to reduce tobacco use and save lives.”
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:
Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Phone: (202) 661-5772 or (202) 661-5711
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
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