Tobacco Documents Online

i 90 COALTION ON SMOKING OR HEALTH SEERS TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATORS WASHINGTON, March 5-- A new "Coalition on Smoking OR Health" backed by thirty the nation's leading health, education and youth leadership organizations, has formed to advance the cause of smoking prevention in the United States, it was announced today. The coalition, which will be based in Washington, D.C., will bring smoking pre- vention issues to the attention to legislators and federal officials and will promote support for federal smoking prevention education programs, according to D. Kessler, chairman of the coalition's steering committee. "The Coalition on Smoking OR Health serves as the public policy action arm of National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health (NICSH)," Kessler said. N is a voluntary association of leading groups formed in 1967 to inform the publi about the dangers of cigarette smoking. The coalition will work closely with three major voluntary health organizations -- the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association and the American Lung Association. ~"CIGARETTE SMOKING IS THE SINGLE MOST PREVENTABLE CAUSE OF DEATH IN THE UNITED STATES" Coalition on Smoking OR Healt A PUBLIC POLICY PROJECT WfTH THE - - NATIONAL INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH 91 .___..t:cn vill immediately focus on promot ...e er.d vould support enactment of a Compreher oth< that would amon 1929% ii7 d S 3 , g . "', .,, ., . an :4irette warning labels. y., .~ .,er imediate public policy priorities: "We are r e.ns.e.- re:erel protections for Americans against exposure ..... .. .w e.empt from protective controls which govern foc rr.... .. ar .• ... ~st:oning the consistency and propriety of nat? M-a ...c-a•e t.u dollars to inform Americans about the heal er..+e ...e at the same time allocating additional tax doll ••.+,-, ..+ . c-oacco." fr.et •;:c:qn.rty, Jr., N.D., Ph.D., chairman of the NICSH : ee•et..••,er,.t ~f the Coalition on Smoking OR Health as a meen: •"r.ge federal initiatives and activities on smokinF =..W•rtt ~s _ean of the school of medicine at the University e•s«-~ct c-:. prevalence of smoking is declining," Dr. Daugher :ne difficulty of the task that lies ahead." He as vast resources, is very good at waging camp :-cs:on and doubt in the minds of the public." -more-

91 %eIs:er said the coalition will immediately focus on promoting a substantial in- ar.e%e :a the :ederal excise tax on cigarettes to deter children and youth from atart.ag to smoke and would support enactment of a Comprehensive Smoking Prevention [dlc4::cr. Act (H.R. 4957 and S. 1929) that would, among other provisions, provide for at:ecgthened cigarette warning labels. Me cited other immediate public policy priorities: "We are raising the question of adequate federal protections for Americans against exposure to toxins in tobacco, .lich is now exempt from protective controls which govern foods, drugs, substances aad products. "4sd we are questioning the consistency and propriety of national public policies rhich allocate tax dollars to inform Americans about the health dangers of cigarette s.oking while at the same time allocating additional tax dollars to subsidize the prod::ct£on of tobacco." - fobett K. Daugherty, Jr., H.D., Ph.D., chairman of the NICSH said, "We welcome the establishment of the Coalition on Smoking OR Health as a means by which we can better encourage federal initiatives and activities on smoking and health." Dr. Pausherty is dean of the school of medicine at the University of Nevada at Reno. 'llthough the prevalence of smoking is declining," Dr. Daugherty said, "we do not underestimate the difficulty of the task that lies ahead." He added, "The tobacco iadustry, with its vast resources, is very good at waging campaigns designed to ereace diversion and doubt in the minds of the public." -more-

i 92 Coalition - Page Three "To counter the immense determination of the tobacco industry to keep Americans smoking, our limited resources must be effectively coordinated and the interface with the federal sector maintained," he said. "We hope the coalition will serve to focus our efforts in this critical public health area." Kessler said the coalition hoped to counter fallacies, myths and misinformation on the health hazards of smoking. In 1981 the Department of Health and Human Services estimated that cigarette smoking caused 340,000 premature deaths, injured the health of an estimated 10 million Americans and cost $41 billion in medical care and economic productivity. "As the Surgeon General's Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking pointed out, Kessler said, "cigarette smoking is the chief, single avoidable cause of death in our society and the most important health issue of our time." . .+ "Ve agree with the Surgeon General and we believe that the majority of Americans feel the same way," he added. "We intend to do our best to keep these issues before the Congress." The NICHS and the coalition said scientific evidence is overwhelming that cigarette smoking: causes cancer of the lung, larynx, esophagus, urinary bladder, mouth and pancreas; causes emphysema and chronic bronchitis; is.a major risk factor for coronary heart disease; is associated with retarded fetal growth; and is an in- creased risk for spontaneous abortion and prenatal death. 8 93 COALITION ON SMOKING OR HE. A Public Policy Project W The National Interagency Council on SmokinE .•.~c;casl Interagency Council on Smoking and Health (NICS •.~dch, edccation, and youth leadership organizations hav .. :. ;`e problem of cigarette smoking on human health. It s .-.a :r._e?endent force to inform the public of the harmful ef (70) national organizations currently comprise the me: .--ed cith the emergence of a number of national initiat- ... .._-H Board of Directors in July, 1981 approved a propos. n:.d focus its resources on public policy issues. ..•.CSH, along with many of its member organizations, part: ._-nce on Smoking OR Health in New York in November, 198: a.•e:c.ince recommended a broad agenda of future actions to a2 pt-ention in the United States. . e,.•.;erence called on the three major voluntary health org Ca._ r Society, the American Heart Association the the Americ ..,e .cedership in establishing a national coalition in Washi ,..;ri;y recommendations in the area of public policy. .... .hree agencies -- working in close cooperation with the p::ress of establishing the Coalition on Smoking OR Health to r•~-;icn of legislators and federal officials and to promote ;revr~:ion education programs. .. .:CSH and the Coalition on Smoking OR Health are deeply c :eis toll in death, debilitation and dollars taken each year . ... :~3: the Department of Health and Human Services estimates •.-...~_c costs of cigarette smoking will total: • more than 340,000 premature deaths in the United St: . the debilitation of an additional 10 million Americ: . the expenditure of an estimated $41 billion, as fol: -- $13 billion in medical care costs -- $25 billion in lost economic productivity -- $ 3.8 billion in Medicare and Medicaid costs !%• %:CSH and the Coalition on Smoking OR Health believe that +.-.. l:azards is overwhelming and clearly indicates that ciga • causes cancer of the lung, larnyx, esophagus, urinar pazcreas • causes emphysema and chronic bronchitis • is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease arn peripheral vascular disease • is associated with retarded fetal growth, an increas abortion and prenatal death