2011: A Year of Progress
December 29, 2011
New U.S. cigarette warning
2011 was a year of tremendous progress in fighting tobacco use, but there were also many reminders that the tobacco industry has not changed and continues to market to children and challenge governments that take strong action.
Smoking rates in the United States dropped to historic lows, the movement for smoke-free air spread around the world and even Major League Baseball started dealing with its addiction to smokeless tobacco.
Here are some highlights:
Smoking rates among adults and youth in the United States dropped to historic lows. The adult smoking rate fell to 19.3 percent in 2010, while the proportion of high school seniors who smoke fell to 18.7 percent in 2011 — a 49 percent decline since 1997. However, the rate of progress has slowed, and elected officials must do more to implement proven strategies, including higher tobacco taxes, smoke-free laws, well-funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs, and effective regulation of tobacco products and marketing.
Around the world, the movement for smoke-free air grew in scope and success. Examples: Brazil became the largest country to go completely smoke-free, joining 12 other smoke-free countries in Latin America and dozens more around the world. In the U.S., the smoke-free movement spread to college campuses (more than 600 are now smoke-free), public housing and travel venues. Even in states like South Carolina, where tobacco once was king, smoke-free ordinances are clearing the air in city after city.
World leaders meeting at the United Nations in September made an unprecedented commitment to fighting tobacco use in order to reduce non-communicable diseases, which now account for two out of three deaths worldwide. Tobacco use is the only risk factor shared by all the leading non-communicable diseases — cancer, heart disease, chronic lung disease and diabetes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled new, graphic warning labels that are scheduled to appear on cigarette packs beginning in September, 2012. Showing that it continues to put profit before lives, the tobacco industry has filed lawsuits challenging the warnings. Worldwide, at least 44 countries now require graphic cigarette warnings.
Australia became the first nation to require that cigarettes be sold in plain paper packaging to discourage youth tobacco use and was promptly sued by the major tobacco companies in its domestic courts and by Philip Morris Asia before an international trade tribunal. Philip Morris International previously filed a similar challenge when Uruguay increased the size of its graphic health warnings.
Major League Baseball and its players' union agreed to the first-ever restrictions on players' use of smokeless tobacco when they are around fans and on television. The Knock Tobacco Out of the Park campaign won this historic change after tens of thousands of fans, public health advocates and leading members of Congress urged big-league ballplayers to be better role models for youth.
2011 also brought plenty of reminders that the battle against tobacco is far from over. Philip Morris International showed the industry's true colors when its CEO claimed that 'it is not that hard to quit' smoking and the company ran an ad in Indonesia telling kids that cigarettes are a friend worth dying for. And New Hampshire paid the price for doing the industry's bidding when the state lost much-needed revenue – and put the state's kids at risk – by cutting its cigarette tax.
In 2012, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids will be working harder than ever to win the fight against tobacco use, the number one cause of preventable death. Stay up-to-date on these efforts in 2012 and beyond with Tobacco Unfiltered.