Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. Focus Area 27: Tobacco Use
• Goal: Reduce illness, disability, and death related to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Objective: 27-1: Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older
• Sub objectives:  Reduce tobacco use by adults aged 18 and older in a) Cigarette smoking b) spit tobacco c) cigar smoking d) other products. 
• According to the Progress Quotient Chart:
• Cigarette Smoking: 25% have moved toward target 
• Spit Tobacco: 10% have moved toward target
• Cigar smoking: 17% have moved toward target
• Tobacco use regarding cigarettes, spit tobacco, and cigars for those age 18 and older, has made progress toward the goal.  Cigarette smoking for this age group has declined from the 1998 baseline 24% to the 2003 level of 21%.  Although spit tobacco and cigar smoking are progressing towards their target, it is going at a slower rate than cigarette smoking.
2. Progress, disparities, opportunities & challenges, and emerging issues:
•  Hispanics/Latinos have the best group and are moving toward the target for reducing cigarette smoking.  The next best group are Asians.  White and black non-Hispanics follow.  Then would be those classified as two races.  And the group with the greatest distance from the best group is American Indian or Alaska native. 
• Changes in disparity were not available for this objective. 
• Females with some college are the best group at reducing cigarette smoking.  Leaving those with less than high school and high school graduates at the low end.  For spit tobacco, gender was not an issue, but those with some college are the best group at reducing their usage.  And for smoking cigars, the best group was high school graduates either male or female.
• There are four emerging issues identified:
• Use and risks of Potentially Reduced Exposure Products (PREPs)
• Smokeless tobacco
• Internet sale of tobacco products
• Access of tobacco products through other sources besides retail stores
• Focusing on youth smoking is significant in achieving the Healthy People 2010 Goals. 
• Tobacco advertisement sales have increased and state funding has decreased on this, these two things together will likely have a negative impact on this goal's result 

H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

Title: Quit Smoking for Life Act of 2009: Amends titles XVIII, V, XIX of Social Security Act to cover services and materials to aid in the cessation of tobacco.

Sponsor: Red DeGette, Diana [CO-1] - 4/1/2009; Red Platts, Todd Russel [PA-19] - 4/1/2009; Rep Rothman, Steven R. [NJ-9] - 10/22/2009

Last major action:  4/1/2009 introduced to Committee on Energy and Commerce, Committee on Ways and Means, House Energy and Commerce, and House Ways and Means

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 1850 Quit Smoking for Life Act 2009

My Political Representative: Congressman Congressmen Chip Cravaack