Public health in America received a huge stimulus of its own with the recent passage of the Family Smoking and Tobacco Control Act (H.R. 1256, as amended). The bill passed both houses with strong bipartisan majorities and the President has said he is eager to sign it. Under the new statute, the Food and Drug Administration will finally have the authority to monitor and control tobacco production, and its marketing. In addition, the bill bans outright flavored or candied tobacco products that might appeal to children.
The debate about the harmful effects of smoking and second-hand smoke is over. It is well documented that smoking causes serious health problems, including:
- cancers of the lung, throat, mouth, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, kidney, bladder, cervix, and stomach
- leukemia (a cancer of blood-forming tissues)
- lung diseases
- atherosclerosis, or hardening and narrowing of the arteries
- heart attacks
- stroke
- gum disease
- eye diseases that can lead to blindness
Smoking during pregnancy often results in serious, sometimes fatal, health problems for the mother and infant.
Resources to help quit smoking are available on the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention's website.
