Cincinnati Children's Blog
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Blog
  • Healthy Living
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Heart Conditions
  • Learning and Growing
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Y&H Podcast
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us
HOME/Safety and Prevention/CDC chief says war on tobacco must continue

CDC chief says war on tobacco must continue

 

May 10, 2010
Thomas McCormally
0 Comments

Science has managed to document tens of thousands of things that can go wrong with the human body. Some of them cause minor discomfort – think heartburn. Others are more serious, or even deadly. Sometimes we don’t have a clue how to fix it and all we can do is sit back and watch (and pray.)

That hurts.

But it is even more painful when we know exactly how to do something and yet we can’t … or we fail. So that’s why the detrimental affects of tobacco use are painful to us. We know what to do – stop smoking – and yet we’re not able to make as big a difference as we’d like.

Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.

 

During a talk before the Association of Health Care Journalists in Chicago last month, Thomas Frieden, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showed the reporters how stop-smoking campaigns have worked … and in some cases how they have not.

The CDC, as part of the release of a report on April 22, encourages all states to implement coordinated, high-impact strategies to end the stall in the decline of smoking rates. Such a move, the CDC says, will prevent millions of smoke-related heart attacks, cancers, strokes and deaths.

“The states know how to end the smoking epidemic,” said Dr. Frieden, who led efforts in New York City to ban smoking in public places. “We must redouble efforts to bring down smoking rates, prevent suffering and premature death and cut health care costs.”

The way to do it, he said, is simple: smoke-free laws, hard hitting ads and higher cigarette prices. He also encouraged states to increase assistance to people trying to quit – “most smokers want to quit,” he said – through help lines and smoking cessation classes.

He said such efforts have been highly successful in states like California which has the longest running public health program aimed at reducing smoking rates. Smoking rates there have decreased from 22.7 percent in 1988 to 13.3 percent (about half the national average) in 2006. Rates for heart disease deaths and lung cancer have also declined precipitously. But even in California, the decline in smoking rates has stalled, in part because budget concerns have caused a reduction in no-smoking efforts.

We must not let up on the work.

Dr. Frieden challenged the assembled reporters to continue to cover the story of tobacco’s costs in terms of lives and health care dollars.

“There are children who die everyday, there are premature births caused by smoking and yet it doesn’t get covered,” he said.

The report concludes: “We know what to do to end this epidemic and we know how to do it.”

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”

Related Articles

 

Firearm Safety: A Conversation Every Family Should Hear 
 

Adults with Congenital Heart Disease: 5 Ways a Cardiac Neuropsychologist Can Help
 

Namaste Together: Yoga for Kids
 

Summer Events and Festivals: A Safety Guide for Families
TAGS:

About the author: Thomas McCormally

Write A Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet

Topics

  • Cancer and Blood Diseases
  • Child Development and Behavior
  • Childhood Obesity
  • Chronic Care Networks
  • Cincinnati Walks for Kids
  • Featured Faces
  • Fetal Conditions
  • Fitness and Nutrition
  • Food Allergies
  • Ghana 2012
  • Health Care Public Policy
  • Health Care Quality
  • Health Care Reform
  • Healthy Living
  • Heart Conditions
  • Hospital Operations
  • Learning and Growing
  • Nurses Week 2012
  • Patient Family Experience
  • Patient Flow
  • Patient Safety
  • Pin of the Week
  • Rare and Complex Conditions
  • Research and Discoveries
  • Safety and Prevention
  • Share Your Story
  • Technology
  • The Young & Healthy Podcast
  • Uncategorized
  • Vaccines
  • Volunteerism
  • What's New
See All Topics
See Less Topics

Subscribe

Subscribe today to our family newsletter for tips, blog posts, podcasts and more.

Subscribe Now

Popular Posts

  • 6 Questions to Ask When Your Child Complains of Chest Pain 840 views

  • Lean, Purple Drank, Sizzurp: A Dangerous Teenage Drink 588 views

  • Stuttering In Young Kids: When To Be Concerned 517 views

  • Family Finds Heart Care Needed for Complex Condition 391 views

  • How To Increase Calories In Your Underweight Child’s Diet 285 views

  • Should I Worry If My Child’s Chest Is Sunken? 253 views

About

The Cincinnati Children’s blog features thoughts and perspectives from our experts on all things pediatric health. This blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn More »

Contact Us
  • 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
  • 1-513-636-4200 | 1-800-344-2462
  • TTY: 1-513-636-4900
  • socialmedia@cchmc.org
Connect With Us
  • Newsletter Subscribe
  • CincinnatiChildrens.org
  • Contact Us

© 2009-2025 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center