Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 21, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact: Department of Health, 360-236-4077
“We have successfully reduced smoking rates in Washington, so people can live longer, healthier lives,” Locke said. “Everyone benefits from Washington’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program – not only those who have quit using tobacco, but those who won’t start and all of us who have to pay for tobacco-related healthcare costs.”
Washington now has the 10th lowest adult smoking rate in the nation. Adult rates have dropped 12 percent. There have also been major declines in tobacco use in the following categories:
Youth:
· 10th grade smoking has dropped 40 percent.
· 12th grade smoking has dropped 36 percent.
Pregnant Women:
· The number of pregnant women who smoke has dropped more than 20 percent.
The program is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and includes the following:
· Public awareness campaigns for schools, encouraging kids not to smoke;
· Grants to local health agencies and tribes for community tobacco prevention programs; and
· A program to train health care providers on how to talk to their patients about quitting tobacco.
“Washington is a national leader in tobacco prevention,” said Locke. “Our work encouraging kids to not smoke and helping adults quit, providing secondhand smoke education, healthcare provider training and tobacco prevention public awareness campaigns have proven to be effective. We’re making progress, but we know there’s more work to do.”
Despite the program’s achievements, tobacco use still remains the leading cause of preventable death in the nation. Tobacco-related diseases kill about 8,000 people every year in Washington, more than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car accidents, murders, suicides and fires combined.
With sustained funding of the program over the course of 10 years, tobacco use among adults will decrease by 26 percent, resulting in a quarter million adults living longer, healthier lives and a savings of $3 billion in future state health care costs to taxpayers.
“Our anti-tobacco efforts save thousands of lives every year,” Selecky said. “Quitting smoking also saves the people of our state a lot of money. This drop in smoking will result in about $1.4 billion saved in future medical costs, and those numbers will go even higher with continued success.”
Related Links:
- Quit Line
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 21, 2004
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact: Department of Health, 360-236-4077
Gov. Gary Locke, Health Secretary Announce Significant Reductions in Tobacco Use in Washington State
OLYMPIA – Oct. 21, 2004 – Gov. Gary Locke and Mary Selecky, secretary for the Department of Health (DOH) today announced a 12 percent drop in the number of adult smokers – approximately 115,000 fewer smokers, since the state launched a Tobacco Prevention and Control program in 2000, to reduce tobacco use in the state.“We have successfully reduced smoking rates in Washington, so people can live longer, healthier lives,” Locke said. “Everyone benefits from Washington’s Tobacco Prevention and Control Program – not only those who have quit using tobacco, but those who won’t start and all of us who have to pay for tobacco-related healthcare costs.”
Washington now has the 10th lowest adult smoking rate in the nation. Adult rates have dropped 12 percent. There have also been major declines in tobacco use in the following categories:
Youth:
· 10th grade smoking has dropped 40 percent.
· 12th grade smoking has dropped 36 percent.
Pregnant Women:
· The number of pregnant women who smoke has dropped more than 20 percent.
The program is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and includes the following:
· Public awareness campaigns for schools, encouraging kids not to smoke;
· Grants to local health agencies and tribes for community tobacco prevention programs; and
· A program to train health care providers on how to talk to their patients about quitting tobacco.
“Washington is a national leader in tobacco prevention,” said Locke. “Our work encouraging kids to not smoke and helping adults quit, providing secondhand smoke education, healthcare provider training and tobacco prevention public awareness campaigns have proven to be effective. We’re making progress, but we know there’s more work to do.”
Despite the program’s achievements, tobacco use still remains the leading cause of preventable death in the nation. Tobacco-related diseases kill about 8,000 people every year in Washington, more than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car accidents, murders, suicides and fires combined.
With sustained funding of the program over the course of 10 years, tobacco use among adults will decrease by 26 percent, resulting in a quarter million adults living longer, healthier lives and a savings of $3 billion in future state health care costs to taxpayers.
“Our anti-tobacco efforts save thousands of lives every year,” Selecky said. “Quitting smoking also saves the people of our state a lot of money. This drop in smoking will result in about $1.4 billion saved in future medical costs, and those numbers will go even higher with continued success.”
Related Links:
- Quit Line
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