BCHC urges Congress to fund CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health at $310 million to combat youth tobacco use

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BCHC signed onto a letter urging Congress to fund CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) at $310 million. Increased funding for OSH is needed to make substantial progress in reducing youth tobacco use, including e-cigarettes, and the devastating toll that tobacco continues to take on our nation’s health.

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, responsible for more than 480,000 deaths and approximately $241 billion in health care costs each year. Nearly one in three heart disease deaths and cancer deaths and nearly eight in 10 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths are caused by tobacco use. Tobacco use almost always begins during adolescence, and most adults who smoke want to quit, but overcoming an addiction to nicotine is difficult and often requires multiple quit attempts.

OSH has a vital role to play in addressing tobacco use. OSH provides grants to states and territories to support tobacco prevention and cessation programs, runs a highly successful national media campaign called Tips from Former Smokers (Tips), conducts research on tobacco use, and develops best practices for reducing it. Additional resources will allow OSH to address the threat to public health posed by high rates of youth e-cigarette use while continuing to prevent and reduce other forms of tobacco use. With additional resources:

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