Surgeon General Report
A half century after the release of the first Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health, remarkable progress has been made. Since 1964, smoking prevalence among U.S. adults has been reduced by half. Unfortunately, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States.
Acting Health Director Gary Gill commented: “In Hawaii, an estimated 1,100 adults die annually from smoking, costing $336 million in related medical expenses. The Department of Health will continue its work with partners in Hawaii to prevent initiation of tobacco use by youth and young adults; promote quitting; eliminate involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke; and reduce tobacco-related disparities among population groups. Hawaii is one of only a handful of states that continues to use the master settlement agreement payments on tobacco prevention and control efforts.”
Gov. Neil Abercrombie noted the challenge of addressing the increasing use of new, unregulated products, such as electronic smoking devices or e-cigarettes: “Hawaii must remain vigilant about smoking behavior, especially as it influences our youth because we don’t want it to be an entryway into more dangerous smoking or drug use. On the 50th anniversary of the first Surgeon General’s report, it is time for our nation and Hawaii to end the smoking epidemic. We know how to do so, and we cannot afford to wait another 50 years.”
To read the new Surgeon General report see:
