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4 FOR RELEASE AT 10:15 A.M. EST WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1981 * P,ENIARKS BY RICHARD S. SCHWEIKER SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV I CES NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMOKING 92 HEALTH NE14YORK, NEW YORK *THIS TEXT 1S THE BASIS OF SECRETARY SCHWEIKER'S ORAL REMARKS, IT SHOULD BE USED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME MATERIAL w , MAY BE ADDED OR OMITTED DURING PRESENTATION. ~":; eft

iT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, TO JOIN THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND THE OTHER CO-SPONSORS=-OF ./ . . THI S NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMOK I NG OR HEALTH. f'VE WORKED W1-TH MANY OF YOU ON HEALTH ISSUES FOR A-LONG TI ME DU R 1 NG . MY 20 YEAR S 1 N THE HOU SE AND- SENATE. NOW, AS SECRETARY OF HEALTH .AND HUMAN SERVICES, I'M GLAD TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH YOU, ESPEC I-ALLY IN THE VITAL CAUSE THAT BRINGS US HERE TODAY. OF ALL THE HEALTH GOALS WE'VE WORKED FOR TOGETHER OVER THE YEARS, THE MOST IMPORTANT I S HEALTH PROMOTION AND D I SEASE PREVENTION.- I'VE COME 4iERE THI S MORNING TO REAFF I RM THAT THE REA-GAN ADM 1 N I STRATION IS DETERM1 NED TO MAKE PROGRESS TOWARD THAT GOAL. HEALTH PROMOTION--KEEPING PEOPLE WELL--SHOULD GUIDE OUR HEALTH POLI CY: I CAN ASSURE YOU HERE AND NOW THAT = ` 03646685 I T W 1 L L. WHEN I CAME TO THE DEPARTMENT I PUT _THE PRACTI CE OF. ~- _ PREVENTIVE MED 1 C1 NE AT THE VERY TOP OF MY AGENDA FOR !'VE MADE I T CENTRAL TO ALL MY S 1 NCE THEN HEALTH , , . .. ,, ;

POL1 CIES. i T-HI NKfrVE CAN AGREE, PREV NTION I S THE MOST LOG 1 CAL AND BES T- ST RATEGY FOR HEALTH CARE, ESPFCIALLY- 1 N TERMS OF SMOK 1 NG. '~ STUDIES SHOW THAT MOST PEOPL-E MAKE DAILY--DECISIONS THAT I NFLUENCE THEI R HEALTH MORE THA-N ALL OF -TODAY'S MEDI-CINE. ONE OF THE M-O-ST RENOWNED STUDIES WAS CONDUCTED BY DR. LESTER BRESLOW OF U. C. L. A. ,- WH0 I S Wl Tl-- US AT THI S CONFERENCE. IT-TO.OK PLACE IN ALAMED-A -COUNTY, -CALIFORNIA, 'LASTED SOME 10 YEARS-AND INVOLVED A SCIENTIF [ C SAMPLE OF MORE THAN 7,U0-0 ---ADULT MEN AND WOMEN. THE STUDY SHOWED THAT BY TAKING A -N-UMBER OF SIMPLE STEPS -- BY EATING BREAKFAST, MAINTAINING PROPER WEIGHT, f . BY U S I NG ALCOHOL ONLY ! N MODERATI ON, BY NOT SMOK I NG AND BY GETT! NG THE PROP-ER AMOUNT OF SLEEP AND EXERCISE , A 45 YEAR-OLD MAN 'CAN E-XPECT TO LIVE 10 TO li YEARS LONGER THAN A PERSON WHO DOESN'T MAKE THESE-CHO! CES. .*'. k 45 YEAR-OLD WOMAN CAN EXPECT -TO LIVE 6 TO 7 YEARS _ONGER.

.' ~ A.S I SEE IT, CNfE. OF OUR BiGGEST CHALLENGES i S TO . PERSUAD-E AMER ( CANS TO ADOPT PREVENTI ON - I NTO THEI R DA i LY LI-VES... T0 HELP THEM TAKE CONTROL OVER -THEI R OWN HEALTH DESTI NY BY TAK 1 NG STEPS THAT STOP D 1-SEASE BEFORE _~_---_ IT STRiKES. WE'VE HEARD [T SAI D THAT PREVENTION HAS BEEN A STEP-CH! LD OF OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. IN MANY WAYS IT . HAS. AFTER ALL, OUR -HEALTH PLAN-N! NG, HEALTH B.UDG-ETS, AND -HFALTH POLICiES -HISTORICALLY-HAVE FOCUSED ON ACUTE -CARE. WE'VE PA1 D A LOT OF ATTENTI 0N T0- CUR l NG 1 LLNESS, A NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO- ST4PP9 NG ! T BEFORE IT STRIKES. IT'S TIME FOR THAT TO CHANGE. . , VV i TH { N MY DEPARTMENT, WE'VE TR i ED TO MOVE ON SEVER-AL FRONTS TO BOLSTER OUR PREVENTION EfFORTS. AS YOU CA-N 1 MAG 1 NE, I N A T-I ME OF BU DGET CU T BA CK S, TH i S- I SN'T EASY. , BETWEEN A ROCK AND A- HARD PLACE I S A PRErTY GOOD ANALOG' IN THAT RESPECT. BUT I S T I L L THINK THE-RE ARE -PLENTY OF INNOVATIVE f DEAS AND CREATIVE WAYS TO ELEVATE HEALiH . o3s4sssvlf , . PROMOTION AND 'D1 SEASE PREVENTf ON TO TH-E TOP PRIORITY THAT I BELIEVE IT DESERVES.

c c ' I'-THlNK WE CAN AGREE THAT A SOUND PREVENTION STRATEGY MU ST HAVE 1 TS ROOTS I N MED 1 CAL _ED UCAT1 ON. I F WE'RE TO PLANT- A STRONG PREVENTION ETH1 C 1 N OUR COUNTRY' HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, THEN TRAINING PHYS1CiANS AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ! S OBV 10USLY ONE PLACE TO--START, AS YOU I-N TH1 S ROOM WELL KNOW, A-STRONG PREVENTfVE STRATEGY 1N 1 LL ALSO REQU 1 RE C_ONT1 NUED RESEARCH 1 NT© THE CA-USES OF D I SEASE. - BUT pUTTI NG- THAT KN0WLEDGE TO WORK-- PROMOTING HEALTH AMONG THE-AMERI-CAN PEOPLE -- ALSO MEANS STRONG SU_PPORT FOR GETT1 NG THE FACTS... ABOUT --- -- f ~ SMOKING AND OTHER HEALTH R1SKS...OUT TO EVERY AMERICAN. THROUGH PU BL1 C-AND PROFESS l ONAL EDUCATI ON WE -CAN PUT PREVENTI ON UP PERMO-ST i N THE M L ND S OF AMER I CAN S AND AT THE HEART OF ALL OUR HEALTH CARE EFFORTS. IT'LL RELIEVE THE GROWING PRESSURE ON- OUR HOSPITALS, OUR ~ HEALTH BUDGETS, AND ALL OF OUR HEALTH CARE RESOUR CES. WE'RE ALSO STEPPING UP OUR OVERALL HHS HEALTH :, o~s~~sse = v ` ~ PROMOTION AND EDUCATION MED iA CAMPAIGN. WE LAUNCHED THIS CAMPAIGN LAST SPRING THROUGH THE NATtONW(DE...MEDIA. IN ADDITION TO TFtFVI S1nN R A n i n liTon mc«icoA ©cec -if rf V% f.

C C- GETTf NG THE MESSAGE OUT THROUGH STATE, LOCAL AND VOLUNTARY AGENC-iES AB-OUT*H-O-W PEOPLE CAN CHANGE THEIR HABITS TO REDUCE HEALTH RISK-S. IN FACT, MAYBE SOME OF YOU ALREADY KNOW, THE AMERICAN RED C R=OSS -HAS LAUN-C-H-ED -ITS NEXT CENTURY W-ITH I NEW -PREVENTION=INITIATIVE, INVOLVING THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND VOLUNTE-ERS IN HEALTH EDUCATION, AS FAR AS BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL, HEART R I SIC A-ND HEALTH-Y LI FE-STYLE CHANGES ARE CONCERNED. IT HAS TEAMED UP WITH ONE OF THE -MAJOR NETWORKS TO DEVELOP A HEALTH PREVENTION EDUCATI ON PROGRAM. SO THE-RE I S A TREMENDOUS MOMENTUM GROWING IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO DO THESE THINGS. - I BEL1 EVE THAT WE- 1 N GOVfRNME--NT HAVE A ROLE AS- A CATALYST, AS WELL AS A ROLE I N PLANTI NG SEED MONEY AND I N G IV I NG PEOPLE ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT WHEN THEY TAKE STEPS ~ - TOWARD PREVE NTI ON. -- 03646689 ALONG THESE SAME LINES, WE'VE BEGUN-A "HEALTHY y MOTHER S" CAM-PA1 GN. WORK 1 NG -CLOSELY W.I TH THE MAR CH OF .~ , . . - ~.~,. ~,. 'D IMES AND SEVERAL NATI ONAL VOLUNT ~'' ~. ~,h EER ORGANI ZATIONS ~ :. WF'RF- RFAruImr. rl-1IT Trl 1Ail1AAChI TLJD/11lI%t1 Tflr .a'. ~~ ~..:-~•..•

-AND TELLtNG THEM ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR, PRENATAL CARE. WE'RE WARNING THEM ABOUT THE RISKS OF J ALCOHOL, SMOKiN-G, AND POOR DIET. IN PARTICULAR, WE'RE TRYING TO REACH H-IGH-R1SK GROUPS -- TEENAGERS AND D I SADVANTAGED WOMEN -- TO -STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD- HEALTH HABi TS. ALL OF THI S I S FULLY l N LI NE W!-TH THE MOST RECENT SURGEON GENERAL'S R-EPORT, "-OBJECTIVES FOR THE NATION," f WHICH -IDENTIFIED SMOKING AND HEALTH-AS ONE OF THE 15 KEY PREVENTION AREAS THAT SHOULD B-E GIVEN PRIORITY- TREATMENT-. SPEAKING OF PREVENTION AN-D THE IMPORTANCE 0F PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERSHI P, 1 WA-NT TO ESPECIALLY STRESS- T-HE -VALUE OF EMPLOYER-BASED WELLNESS !-NITIATIV-ES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES, WHI CH -OFTEN I NCLUDE ENCOURAGEMENT TO QUIT SMOK 1 NG. GETT1 NG PEOPLE TO STAY HEALTHY HAS PRO-DUCED A WHOLE NEW MOVEMENT TOWARD PROMTI NG HEALTHY PRAC T1 CE . .ta AT WORK.

THE NEW YORK TGES RECENTLY REPOC'ED THAT MORE THAN 400 COMPAN! ES NOW HAVE HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMS FOR THEI R EMPLOYEES T0 SUPPLEMENT REGULAR MED f CAL BENEFITS. SOME COMPANI ES ARE EVEN PAYING THFI R WORKERS CASH I BENEFITS FOR STAYING FI T. EMPLOYER WELLNESS PROGRAMS ARE- VOLUNTARY_, THEY INCREASF PRODUCTIVITY, THEY LOWER , HEALTH COSTS, AND THEY MAKE GOOD SENSE' ALL AROUND. I FORESEE THE-N'i AS BEING THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE IN THE PREVENTION AREA. THt S MONTH'S- TIME MAGAZINE RAN A COVER-STORY- ON FITNESS THAT PAINTS A DRAMATIC PICTURE INDEED. AMERICAP ARE- SPENDING $5 _Bl-LLiON ON HEALTH FOODS AND VITAMINS, $50 MlltiON ON DIET AND EXtRClSE BOOKS, $5 BILLION ON HEALTH AND FI TNESS CLU BS AND $8 B 1 LLl ON FOR SPORTING. GEAR. I'M ONE OF- THE 30 MI LLION JOGG-ERS. -AND THAT'S • JUST THE START--THE LI ST GOES THROUGH SUCH EXPENSES AS $6 BILLION FOR DIET DRINKS AND $1 BILLION EOR- BICYCLING _--_ - _ - - o ,.. EQUIPMENT. 0$VlOUSLY_.AMERI CANS WANT DESPERATIELY TO BE F-IT THEY'LL WORK AND PAY FOR 1 T. - OUR JOB 1 S TO KEEP TH i'5

f bl NEW AMERICAN SURG'r TOWARD FITNESS 0 COURSE,..-TO HARNE I T I NTO A SOUND NATI ONAL REALTH PROM®TI ON POLf CY- THAT INCLUDE-S EDUCATION ABOUT SMOKING. THE OFF I CE ON SMOK { NG AND HEALTH HAS A CR I TI CAL ROLE TO _PLA.Y IN -PUBLIC INFORMATION AND-EDUCATI ON, -IN , PROVIDING YOU WITH TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION AND BACK-UP, AN=D 1 N HELP I NG US 1 S-SUE OUR ANNUAL REPORT. TO CONGRESS ON THE HEALTH_ CONSEQUENCE-S OF SMOKING. <.® WE WI LL CCNT( NUE TO CARRY OUT THESE- FUNCTIONS. THI S YEAR'S ANNUAL REPOR T- OF THE SURGEON GENERAL - ------- _---- --- -=--- --- ,/ ON THE HEALTH CO-NSEQUENCES OF SMOK I NG MARKS -THE / F I R ST I N A SER I ES ON - THE R€LATf ON SH I P BETWEEN SMOK f NG AND SPEC.IFIC-DISE-AS-ES. T}ifS YEAR'S RE-PORT, TO BE V/ PUBLISHED IN .lANUARY, {S ON SMOKING AND CAN-CER. THE ,/ OFFICE OF SNtOKING AND HEALTH HAS BEEN WORKI-N-G WITH , THE AMER I CAN CANCER SOC I E1Y- AND LEAD I-NG CANCER -RESEARCHERS AROUND THE -COUNTRY 1 N THE- DEVELOPME-NT Of- THE-REPORT.. . IN THE PAST, VOLUNTARY AGENCi-ES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WORK [ NG TOGETHFR HAVE ACCOMPLI SHED A

GREAT DEAL ALONG THESE LINES. A GALLUP- POLL THI S YEAR . - / FOUND THAT THE PERCENTAGE"OF SMOKERS I N THE UNiTED- -STATES I S NOW THE LOWEST RECORDED I N THE 37 YEARS OF- THE GALLP P POLLS.. N 1 NETY PERCENT OF THE POPULATI ON /' AGREES THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING IS -HARMFUL. / SOME NEWS ABOUT SMOKlN-G- BY YQ-UNG PEOPLE IS / ENCOURAG 1 N G - - . THE PERCENTAGE OF BOYS WHO SMOKE I S LOWER THAN AT ANY TIME lN THE LIFETIMES OF MOST OF U-S / HERE. SMOKING BY GIRLS IN=CREASED DURING THE 1960s AND THE- EAR-LY 1970s BUT TH I S , TO0-, I S NOW DECL1 N I NG-. I N A 1979 SURVEY BY THE NAT.IQNAL -INSTITUTI: OF EDUCATION, NINETY-SIX PERCENT OF ALL YOUNG PEOPLE -- EVEN 91 1'ERCEN' - / / OF THOSE WHO SMOKE -- SA i D THAT SMOK I NG I S HARMFUL TO HEALTH. BUT -OUR NEED TO CON-TI NUE EDUCATING YOU-N-G / PEOPLE ABOUT THE HEALTH DANGERS OF SMOKING- IS AS GREAT AS EVER. THE JOB 1 S A NEVER-END I NG ONE. -- 03646693 WE'LL GET OUR MESSAGE THROUGH TO MORE AND- MORE -YOU- PEOPLE IF WE SPREAD THE FACTS -- FROM GOVERNMENT, FROM . .;: VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, FROM TEACHERS, FROM DOCTORS AND : NUR.SES, FROM NATIONAL GROIIP-S AND FROM NEIGHBORHO©DS,; _ ~ .. .~._.,..4~ _.t~~..~. _...`.