Tobacco Reduction as a National & Regional Priority: Issuing a Challenge for Tobacco-Free Campuses RADM Clara H. Cobb Assistant Surgeon General U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Regional Health Administrator, Region IV University of South Carolina October 17, 2013 At-a-Glance: The Tobacco Epidemic HHS Strategic Plan to Control Tobacco The Affordable Care Act: Provisions to Address Tobacco Use Tobacco-Free College Campuses (TFCCI) and the Focus on HBCUs The Charge for Tobacco-Free Campuses 1
Learning Objectives Describe the tobacco epidemic Identify provisions from the Affordable Care Act to address prevention & reduction of tobacco use Describe compelling reasons for establishing policies for tobacco-free college campuses Current Trends Single, most preventable cause of death and disease Leading cause of lung disease, cancer, and heart disease. $193 billion spent annually on direct medical costs. Responsible for 1 out of 5 deaths each year. 2
Smoking Kills More Americans than All of these Combined AIDS Alcohol Car crashes Fires Heroin Cocaine Homicide Suicide Each day, 1,200 Americans die from smoking Each of those people are being replaced by 2 young smokers 90% of all smokers start before age 18 99% of all smokers start before age 26 3
A Preventable Epidemic Cigarettes and other tobacco products are highly addictive More than 7,000 chemicals & chemical compounds in tobacco smoke Young adults under age 30 who started smoking as teens or in early twenties can develop Early cardiovascular disease Smaller lungs that don t function normally Wheezing that leads to asthma DNA damage that can cause cancer almost anywhere in the body Lifelong smokers get sicker and die an average of 13 years younger than non-smokers HHS Strategic Plan to Control Tobacco Vision: A society free of tobacco-related death and disease First Charge: Base the new HHS strategic action plan on the tobacco control goals set forth in Healthy People 2020 4
Healthy People 2020 Tobacco Prevention Objectives Reduce tobacco use by adults & adolescents Reduce the initiation of tobacco use by children, adolescents, & young adults Increase successful cessation attempts by tobacco users Reduce the proportion of non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke 5
HHS Confronting the Epidemic by Establishing Tobacco-Free Campuses In July 2011, HHS policy covering all indoor and outdoor properties The announcement stated: Taking this action will protect the health and safety of all HHS employees, contractors and visitors and will serve as a role model for workplaces everywhere Educational and promotional efforts will be provided in support of the policy s implementation. We know that quitting tobacco can be difficult for even the most motivated people, and we want to help employees succeed. The Surgeon General Speaks 2013 In July 2013, the Office of the Surgeon General delivered a historic uniform policy announcement. The Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service has become the first uniformed service of the seven services to prohibit smoking and tobacco use while in uniform. 6
If We Don t Accelerate Our Progress. Based on current rates, more than 1 million current college students are projected to die prematurely from tobacco use If young people don t start using tobacco by age 26, they almost certainly will never start. - Former Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin A New Tobacco Strategic Action Plan The Affordable Care Act, March 2010 Requires private insurance plans to cover tobacco cessation Expands smoking cessation coverage for pregnant women Provides Medicare beneficiaries with an annual wellness visit Established the Prevention and Public Health Fund Created the National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council 7
HHS Launches the Tobacco-Free College Campus Initiative Before and After. 2012 2013 775 Colleges and Universities had implemented 100% of Smoke-Free College Policies 1,178 Colleges and Universities had implemented 100% of Smoke-Free College Policies 8
The Tobacco-Free College Campuses Initiative (TFCCI) is a. collaboration between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and leaders from universities, colleges, & the public health community focused on the promotion and adoption of tobacco-free policies at institutions of higher learning across the United States TFCCI: Vision and Goals Vision: Widespread expansion of tobacco-free policies to institutions of higher learning across the U.S. Goals: 1. Foster a collaborative, cooperative effort among academic institutions and community public health partners 2. Expand awareness in academia and among the public of the need for and benefits of such policies 3. Facilitate information flow and access to technical assistance 9
College Students & Smoking 24.8% of full-time college students aged 18-22 years old were current smokers in 2010 (almost 1/3 aged 18-26) The number of smokers who initiated smoking after age 18 increased from 600,000 in 2002 to 1 million in 2010 Progression from occasional to daily smoking almost always occurs by age 26 Tobacco companies have carefully studied the attitudes and behaviors of young people, particularly as they go through life transitions, such as attending college. Smoking Related Disparities Among African Americans 72 percent of African Americans are exposed to secondhand smoke. Adult African American smoking prevalence rates are comparable to Whites, yet African Americans have higher lung cancer rates. African American men are at least 50 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than white men. 47,000 African Americans die each year from smoking-related diseases. African American adults are more likely to die from 3 leading causes of smoking related death Coronary Heart Disease Stroke Lung Cancer 10
Impact Among African Americans and HBCUs: A Regional Priority Tobacco-free campus policies need to reach HBCUs. Of the 106 institutions classified as HBCUs, 19 are currently known to have 100% Smoke-free or Tobacco Free policies in place. Region IV is the home of 64 HBCUs, thus the priority for this region. The state of South Carolina has 8 of the 64 HBCUs in this region. Looking Ahead: The Charge Engage academic and public health leaders to champion tobacco-free campuses. Develop policies that would ensure a tobacco- free environment to support the efforts to reduce this epidemic. Commit to sustain comprehensive programs to help make our next generation tobacco-free. 11
Thank You! Full Speed Ahead. 12