[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 178 (Friday, November 16, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14612-S14613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, today is the American Cancer Society's 
31st annual Great American Smokeout. This is an annual event designed 
to encourage the 45.8 million Americans who smoke tobacco to kick the 
habit. First held in 1977, American Smokeout Day challenges smokers to 
give up their cigarettes for 24 hours, in the hope that their decision 
to quit will be permanent.
  Each year, approximately 440,000 Americans die from tobacco-related 
diseases. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both 
men and women, accounting for one in five deaths in the United States. 
In Maryland alone in 2005, there were more than 7,000 smoking-related 
deaths, many from lung cancer.
  Americans know much more today about the dangers of tobacco than we 
did 31 years ago when this event first took place. We know cigarettes 
contain more than 250 chemicals that are known to be harmful, including 
hydrogen cyanide, which is used in making chemical weapons; carbon 
monoxide, which is found in car exhaust fumes; and ammonia, which is 
used in household cleaners.
  We have also learned that smoking affects not only tobacco users, but 
also the people around them. Recent research has demonstrated the 
serious hazards of secondhand smoke. Secondhand smoke causes nearly 
3,400 lung cancer deaths and 46,000 heart disease deaths in adult 
nonsmokers in the United States each year, and it is especially harmful 
to young children. Tragically, secondhand smoke is cited as the cause 
of approximately 430 sudden infant death syndrome, SIDS, fatalities in 
the United States each year.
  My home State of Maryland is 1 of 22 States that have enacted laws 
banning smoking in nearly all public places. Gov. Martin O'Malley 
signed the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 into law on May 17, 2007. It 
will go into effect on February 1, 2008. This law specifically 
prohibits smoking in public meeting places, public transportation 
vehicles, and indoor places of employment, including all restaurants 
and bars.
  We also know it is never too late to quit. There are significant 
health benefits to quitting, even after 30 or more years of smoking. 
Studies have shown that quitting at age 30 reduces one's chances of 
dying from smoking-related diseases by more than 90 percent, and 
quitting by age 50 reduces one's chances by more than 50 percent.
  Today is also a prime opportunity for our seniors who still smoke to 
quit. Doing so will save overall health care costs and save lives. 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.3 
percent of Americans age 65 and older smoke cigarettes, and nearly 
300,000 seniors die of smoking-related diseases every year. The Centers 
for Medicare and Medicaid Services have estimated that smoking-related 
health problems accounted for

[[Page S14613]]

about 10 percent of total Medicare costs.
  Many elderly smokers began their habit decades ago, when tobacco 
companies told us that smoking carried no health risks. But we know 
better now, and help is available. Since 2005, Medicare has covered the 
cost of smoking cessation counseling for beneficiaries with diseases 
caused by tobacco use, such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease, 
weak bones, blood clots, and cataracts. Medicare also covers counseling 
for beneficiaries who take medications for diabetes, hypertension, 
blood clots, and depression because tobacco use can reduce the 
effectiveness of these medicines. Medicare Part D plans also cover 
smoking-cessation products such as nicotine patches and gum as long as 
they are prescribed by a physician.
  There has been significant progress in the fight against cancer, and 
one factor is the decline in overall smoking rates in the U.S. But a 
recent New York Times article entitled, ``The Smoking Scourge Among 
Urban Blacks,'' reported dramatic increases in smoking among poor 
minorities in cities across America and particularly in my home town of 
Baltimore. On city streets, cigarettes are sold individually as 
``loosies'' for 50 cents each, targeting people who cannot afford the 
nearly $5 cost of a full pack. Despite the success of antismoking 
campaigns among American society as a whole, recent research shows that 
more than half of poor, Black young adults still smoke. So we must 
continue to do more to educate minority children and young adults about 
the health hazards of smoking. We won't be able to attack the problem 
of health disparities in earnest until we do.
  Finally, it is time for the United States to recognize nicotine as a 
drug and regulate its use. That is why I am a cosponsor of Senator 
Kennedy's bill, S. 625, the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco 
Control Act. This bipartisan legislation, sponsored by a majority of 
this body, would give the Food and Drug Administration broad new 
authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, advertising, 
promotion, sale, and use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products. 
Congress cannot in good conscience allow the Federal agency most 
responsible for protecting the public health to remain powerless to 
deal with the enormous risks of tobacco.
  In closing, I want to recognize the extraordinary efforts of the 
American Cancer Society in raising awareness of the dangers of tobacco 
use and in sponsoring the Great American Smokeout. Over the years, ACS 
has helped millions of Americans live healthier, longer, and fuller 
lives. With comprehensive tobacco control programs, indoor smoke-free 
workplace laws, and a multitude of smoking cessation resources 
available today to help smokers, there has never been a better time to 
quit. Today's smokeout will give many more Americans the motivation to 
put out their last cigarette.

                          ____________________