The Job is not Done

Fifty years ago this month the U.S. Surgeon General published a report that established the link between smoking and cancer, helping to show the public that the tobacco industry had been lying to them about their deadly, additive products for years. It was the beginning of a long fight that continues today, to change public perceptions of smoking, provide services and education to help people quit tobacco and prevent kids from starting and to work with lawmakers to implement strong tobacco control policies.This work is paying off. Over the past 50 years, adult smoking rates have been cut in half and are down to 19 percent nationwide.But there are still 43 million smokers in the country, with more than 3,000 kids picking up their first cigarette every day nationwide. The tobacco industry continues to promote their deadly products and fight proven tobacco control measures, like smoke-free laws and tobacco taxes, which can protect our kids from a lifetime of addiction.It’s time to put an end to Big Tobacco’s deceptions. We can start by adequately funding Michigan’s tobacco prevention and cessation program. On the 50th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s report, let’s call on our legislators in Lansing to keep us moving in the right direction. We must do all we can to prevent our young people from ever becoming addicted to these deadly products, help people quit and save lives from tobacco-related diseases, like cancer.