Tobacco Documents Online

J 93 COALITION ON SMOKING OR HEALTH . A Public Policy Project With The National Interagency Council on Smoking and Health fi The Vational Interagency Council on Smoking and Health (NICSH) is a voluntary association •f health, education, and youth leadership organizations having responsibility or concern • yith the problem of cigarette smoking on human health. It seeks to provide a cooperative aed inie?endent force to inform the public of the harmful effects of cigarette smoking. - SLlrcy (30) national organizations currently comprise the membership of the Council. Cencerned with the emergence of a number of national initiatives in smoking and health, tpe VICSH Board of Directors in July, 1981 approved a proposal to relocate in Washington, D.C. ar.d focus its resources on public policy issues. . Yye NICSH, along with many of its member organizations, participated in a National Coeference on Smoking OR Health in New York in November, 1981. The 250 conferees in attead3nce recommended a broad agenda of future actions to advance the cause of smoking pzevention in the United States. The C-ference called on the three major voluntary health organizations -- the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association the the American Lung Association -- to take leadership in establishing a national coalition in Washington, D.C. to implement its priority recommendations in the area of public policy. TLese three agencies -- working in close cooperation with the NICSH -- are now in the ptocess of establishing the Coalition on Smokinz OR Health to bring these issues to the attention of legislators and federal officials and to promote support for federal smoking Orevcntion education programs. The VICSH and the Coalition on Smoking OR Health are deeply concerned about the relent- 1•ss toll in death, debilitation and dollars taken each year by smoking related diseases. In 1981 the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that the annual health and eccnomic costs of cigarette smoking will total: • more than 340,000 premature deaths in the United States • the debilitation of an additional 10 million Americans • the expenditure of an estimated $41 billion, as follows: -- $13 billion in medical care costs -- $25 billion in lost economic productivity -- $ 3.8 billion in Hedicare and Hedicaid costs The NICSH and the Coalition on Smoking OR Health believe that scientific evidence of the health hazards is overwhelming and clearly indicates that cigarette smoking: • causes cancer of the lung, larnyx, esophagus, urinary bladder, mouth and pancreas • causes emphysema and chronic bronchitis • is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and arteriosclerotic peripheral vascular disease • is associated with retarded fetal growth, an increased risk for spontaneous abortion and prenatal death

1 94 2 The Coalition on Smoking OR Health will immediately focus its energies on a numb.= public policy issues, including: • promoting a substantial increase in the federal excise tax on cigare tt _ deter children and youth from starting to smoke . • supporting enactment of the Comprehensive Smoking Prevention Act (H.R S. 1929) which would: establish a congressional mandate for the Office of Smoking and 1[ establish a means to coordinate federal smoking and health prcgr strengthen cigarette warning labels • countering fallacies, myths and misinformation on the health hazards e smoking • providing a mechanism for coordinating private sector smoking and healt programs and establishing an interface with public sector programs • raising the question of adequate federal protections for Americans aga exposure to the toxins in tobacco, which is now exempt from protecti controls which govern foods, drugs, substances and products • questioning the consistency and propriety of national public policiesv allocate tax dollars to inform Americans about the health dangers of cigarette smoking and allocate additional tax dollars to subsidize the production of tobacco. The Coalition on Smoking OR Health and the member agencies of NICSH stand ready t, the Congress and the Department of Health and Human Services in providing Americani` the health information they need in order to make an informed choice on whether or smoke. For Information Contact: John D. Kessler Chairman, Steering Committee Coalition on Smoking OR Health 1110 Vermont Avenue, N.W. Suite 820 Washington, D.C. 20005 (202) 822-9380 "Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United Sta 95 1L I~IERAGENCY COLNCIL ON SMOKING A private Sector Member Organizatio ,.,v of Pediatrics ,.` ince for Health, Physical Education, Re( -I ;ition of Respiratory Therapy -r Society ft.,, a. :011ege of Chest Physicians Am.a;.j~ .;oliege Health Association ,.:~ge of Radiology weccan -ospital Association ai.eri:a:. ..-nq Association s..rlcan. 'edical Association aw.uan ':ed_cal Student Association a..r::a.: ::iar©aceutical Association a..rtta., :,:blic Health Association Mu:cu. `_'_:ool Health Association •ea« :a::on of State and Territorial Health Officers INN7+ _:_o of America 10aa of L:mes Birth Defect Foundation e+t+1-a: Ioard of Young Men's Christian Association *01 .-t:ai 3oard of Young Women's Christian Association Mt.=nai ::ongress of Parents and Teachers ~~~°ral :ogging Association :.eague for Nursing `:edical Association Student Nurses Association

i 95 NATIONAL IITERAGENCY COUNCIL ON SMOKING AND HEALTH Private Sector Member Organizations American Academy of Pediatrics American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, ~ American Association of Respiratory Therapy Recreation and Dance ~ American Cancer Society i..rican College of Chest Physicians r._ American College Health Association ® I Vaociation of State aad Territorial Health Officers 3qs Club of America 1.aricEn College of Radiology American College of Surgeons American Dental Association M.rican Heart Association American Hospital Association American Lung Association American Medical Association American Medical Student Association American Pharmaceutical Association American Public Health Association American School Health Association l4rch of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation National Board of Young Men's Christian Association National Board of Young Women's Christian Association National Congress of Parents and Teachers National Jogging Association National League for Nursing National Medical Association National Student Nurses Association II ®