Fifty years ago, the U.S. surgeon general released a report that changed the nation’s relationship with tobacco.
To mark the anniversary of the pivotal report, the American Heart Association and other leading health organizations outlined goals on Wednesday to reduce the adult smoking rate to less than 10 percent in 10 years, eliminate exposure to secondhand smoke in five years and eventually end the tobacco epidemic.
The first Surgeon General’s report, issued Jan. 11, 1964, spurred landmark legislation that required warning labels on cigarettes and banned tobacco advertising on television. Smoking is still the nation’s No. 1 cause of death, killing 443,000 Americans and costing the nation $193 billion in health care expenses and lost productivity each year.
“Since 1964, the American Heart Association’s commitment to reducing the toll of tobacco has not wavered,” Mariell Jessup, M.D., president of the American Heart Association and Professor of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Heart and Vascular Center told a gathering in Washington, D.C. “The reasons for this could not be clearer. A person who smokes is two to four times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than a nonsmoker. Cigarette smoking doubles a person’s risk for stroke. And thirty percent of all heart disease and strokes is caused by smoking.”
The 50th anniversary report, which will be issued next week, shows that reducing tobacco use has had the single greatest impact on the nation’s health over the last 50 years. By 1969, 70 percent of Americans believed smoking caused heart disease, more than double the amount from 1958. Smoking rates have been cut by more than half, with per capita consumption down by over 70 percent.
Photo of Mariell Jessup, M.D.
Association has long history of fighting tobacco
The American Heart Association first issued a statement about the tie between cigarette smoking and heart disease in 1956. In the 1960s, the association intensified its anti-cigarette smoking program, supported the Federal Trade Commission’s regulations on cigarette labeling and advertising, issued educational materials for consumers and doctors and published articles about the dangers of smoking.
Over time, the American Heart Association has continued with its fight by supporting smoke-free air laws around the country and advocating for significant increases in federal, state and local excise tobacco taxes. Many studies have shown that tobacco taxes reduce smoking prevalence, especially in youth. For every 10 percent hike in cigarette prices, overall cigarette consumption goes down by 3 to 5 percent.
“We know how to end the epidemic of tobacco addition. We must increase tobacco taxes, pass strong smoke-free laws and fully fund state tobacco prevention and cessation programs,” Jessup said. “These measures can reduce the number of adult smokers to less than 10 percent of the population by 2024 and ensure that all Americans are protected from the dangers of secondhand smoke.”
Photo courtesy of Matthew Bannister
Will no one listen? Why want anyone listen? Why do we have to watch our loved ones suffer from this HORRIBLE and SENSELESS addiction? WHY?!!! My mom married at the young age of 14, she has endured many things in her life. Things that some would of just given up. Her husband going to War.. Her home burning down… being told she had a disease that would make her barren and yet birthing 4 children…Two of which I might add were a set of twins. Having cancer when she was just 26 years old and being told she would only have SIX WEEKS to live. Radiation and driving with those four children, to her appointments an hour away in New Orleans by herself I might add. She is a fighter!! A car accident breaking the nose of her precious son, a motorcycle accident where her leg was cut so deep that doctors said a 1/2 inch LESS deep and she would of bled to death. Not just one but TWO heart attacks, a stroke, congestive heart failure, more times than you can count, failing kidneys with only 15% of use. The Radiation destroyed her kidneys and part of her bowel but she still marched on. Through all of the many many things life has thrown at her she has endured…however, what do you think will be the thing that will probably wind up taking the life of my beautiful mom of just 75 years old? CIGARETTES!!! A smoker since the young age of 14. She and my father. From time to time they would quit and start again. Hiding the fact for as long as possible. Her children, grandchildren, great grandchild begging her to stop. Hiding the cigarettes, tearing up cigarettes, refusing to buy cigarettes. Telling her, warning her what would happen. Why did she not listen? Addiction, Addiction, Addiction! Of all the pain that she has faced in her life..,heartache, radiation, a whole box of stitches inside and outside of her leg, stints in her heart, open heart surgery, physical therapy after the stroke, cancer surgery, kidneys shutting down and being restarted, things that ANYONE would fear the thing she fears the most? The fear of not having air to breathe! Our basic everyday function. She now has lung disease….COPD… The root cause?…. Cigarettes! Recently my mom had to be intubated to bring her back to us. The lungs are necessary to help her already depleted kidneys and bad heart..(thanks to cigarettes) My mother is frightened every moment of every second of everyday. If she is even the slightest bit short of breath she will again feel that fear of our basic function.. Taking in air! My mom has signed a do not resuscitate order for the future. She does not want to experience ever again the painful intubation but especially not having AIR to breathe. Through all of this there is even a greater sorrow for us as a family… My father will not stop even after seeing his wife of 60 years suffer.. My nephew watching his grandmother suffer… ADDICTION!! I know my parents were of the generation that smoking was cool however whether they chose to pick up that cigarette or not is not in question. The ADDICTION that the cigarettes had was so strong that generations are paying the price with their lives! Now my father will be without her, we will be without her, and we will also be without him one day and there lives will end in the worst way possible.. Not being able to BREATHE!!