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Media - April 5, 2019

Most support tobacco policy changes that will save lives and tax dollars | Opinion

Bill Frist and Matthew L. Myers, Guest columnists

View it in The Tennessean.

As the leading cause of preventable death in Tennessee, tobacco use is shortening the lives of millions of people, affecting the health of children and adding $2.6 billion in health care costs to the state annually.

Nearly one in four Tennesseans smoke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveys show that 20.3 percent of Tennessee high school students reported using cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco or electronic cigarettes at least once during the last 30 days. Based on current smoking rates, there are 125,000 kids in Tennessee today who will ultimately die from smoking, and smoking still kills more people each year than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

In addition, we are also facing a new epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. Nationally, use of e-cigarettes by high school students rose 78 percent in 2018, and more than 3.6 million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes.

The good news, however, is that there are proven solutions. Over the last 20 years, states across the country have dramatically reduced tobacco use among youth by raising tobacco taxes, funding prevention programs and passing strong smoke-free laws. In the last few years, states have started raising the sales age for tobacco from 18 to 21. Research has shown that nearly 95 percent of adults who smoke started smoking before the age of 21. Raising the sale age would mean fewer teens would have access to tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) when their brains are still developing and more prone to addiction. Experts estimate that raising the tobacco sale age to 21 will, over time, reduce the smoking rate nationally by about 12 percent and smoking-related deaths by 10 percent, which translates into 223,000 fewer premature deaths, 50,000 fewer deaths from lung cancer and 4.2 million fewer years of life lost.

For too long we’ve assumed that, as a state with a history of growing tobacco, our citizens won’t get behind efforts to end tobacco use, but the opposite is true. NashvilleHealth has partnered with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and CityHealth, an initiative of the de Beaumont Foundation and Kaiser Permanente, to survey Tennesseans on tobacco use and potential solutions. The results of the recent poll are encouraging.
Nearly two-thirds of Tennessee voters support increasing the tobacco sale age to 21, and an overwhelming majority (86 percent) say e-cigarettes should be included. Seven out of 10 voters are concerned about tobacco use among young people, and 80 percent support dedicating at least $4 million of the state’s tobacco revenue funds to prevention programs, while 78 percent support a state law that would make all indoor public places smoke-free. Bipartisan support of these issues spans the state.
The grassroots support exists; now we need to turn that support into action. If Tennessee decides to take a stand and make the powerful policy changes needed to turn the tide on tobacco use, we could save countless lives, reduce the $150 million that TennCare spends annually on tobacco-related illnesses, and improve the quality of life for Tennessee children. Eight states and more than 440 localities have already adopted a tobacco age of 21; the Volunteer State should be next. You can make a difference by contacting your state House and Senate representatives and letting them know you support these policy changes. Together, we can make Tennessee the healthiest place to live and raise a family.

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., is founder and chairman of NashvilleHealth, and Matthew L. Myers is president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. 

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