President Obama Takes on Tobacco in New Video
November 17, 2011
Today is the American Cancer Society's Great American Smokeout, and President Obama is marking the occasion with a video underscoring his Administration's commitment to winning the fight against tobacco — the nation's leading cause of preventable death.
The Obama Administration has provided unprecedented leadership in the fight against tobacco. The Administration's accomplishments include:
- A landmark law granting the Food and Drug Administration authority over tobacco products. Already, the FDA has used this authority to ban candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes, crack down on tobacco marketing and sales to kids, ban misleading cigarette labels such as 'light' and 'low-tar,' and unveil large, graphic warning labels that will be required on all cigarette packs and advertising. As the President stated today, the Administration is strongly committed to defending the new warnings against tobacco industry challenges.
- A health care reform law that is expanding insurance coverage for proven treatments that help smokers quit and providing funding for tobacco prevention and other disease prevention programs that save lives and reduce health care costs.
- A 62-cent increase in the federal cigarette tax and increases in other tobacco taxes that were part of the 2009 law reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
- Announcement of the nation's first Tobacco Control Strategic Action Plan, including a commitment to launch a national media campaign discouraging kids from smoking and encouraging smokers to quit.
The Administration's challenge now is to fully and effectively implement these measures so they have the greatest impact in reducing tobacco use and saving lives. The President today demonstrated a clear commitment to doing so.