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Smoking advice
Dear Editor:
There is so much in the news these days that some readers may not have noticed that there have been three huge tobacco news reports in the last couple of months.
1. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler found that the major tobacco companies have violated civil racketeering laws. They have defrauded the American people by lying for decades about the health risks of smoking. Their marketing to children and their wrongdoing continues today.
2. The 2006 Surgeon General's Report found that:
Smoking is the single greatest avoidable cause of disease and death.
Secondhand smoke exposure causes disease and premature death in children and adults who do not smoke.
There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke.
Eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposure to secondhand smoke.
3. Tobacco companies have secretly increased the level of nicotine in many brands of cigarettes, up to 36 percent in some cases.
As more smokers try to quit, tobacco companies have stopped at nothing to maintain addiction among current smokers and to addict a new generation of replacement smokers.
Nicotine levels in the three cigarette brands that are most popular among youth smokers (Marlboro, Newport and Camel) have increased significantly.
What is the toll of smoking in our area? According to statistics from www.tobaccofreekids.org, it costs every
household in New York State $902 per year to pay for smoking-caused government expenditures; that’s the state and federal tax burden not covered by private insurance. Based on 2000 Census statistics for households, the cost in Erie county is $343,547,446 per year.
What can you do to help? Help spread the word on how to quit. The EX Campaign asks, “Instead of telling you why to quit, wouldn’t it be nice if someone told you how?” Call 1-800- QUIT-NOW or go to www.become anex.org. Even if you don’t smoke, please share this information with family, friends and co-workers.
Kate Huber, Tobacco-free Healthy Schools Coordinator,
Erie-1 BOCES
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