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Legacy Calls for Renewed Emphasis on Youth Tobacco Prevention

7/8/2010

Statement by Legacy President and CEO, Dr. Cheryl Healton

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the wake of today’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report announcing a continuing lag in the rate of decline in youth smoking rates in the United States from 2003-2009, Legacy joins our colleagues in public health to reiterate a growing sense of urgency for well-funded, effective, evidence-based tobacco control and prevention programs. The CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) finds a slow decline of youth smoking, from 21.9% in 2003 to 19.5% in 2009. As a result of the sluggish decline, the nation will clearly not meet the objective set by Healthy People 2010 to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use by high school students to 16% or less.

The nation has solid evidence that effective youth tobacco prevention programs work. Legacy’s truth^® youth tobacco prevention campaign was launched in 2000 with an annual media buy of nearly $100 M. Research shows that in its first two years, the campaign helped to drive down youth smoking by 22%. However, by 2003 when Legacy received its last Master Settlement Agreement payment, the campaign’s funding began a slow decline that is now mirrored in the new youth smoking prevalence findings reported in today’s MMWR. Now in the campaign's tenth year, truth has been forced to evolve, with a current annual budget of approximately $30M, which is less than what the tobacco industry spends in one day marketing its products in the US alone ($34 M).

This new data appears to confirm the fact that a bold evidence-based national public education campaign clearly drives down youth smoking rates and once it is made less viable due to funding declines, youth smoking has subsequently leveled off. This is also compounded by the fact that many state-based youth prevention campaigns have also seen major cuts.

In order to drastically change the rate of tobacco-related disease and death in this country which continues to rob us of over 400,000 lives annually, we must focus more attention and funding support to research-driven, effective programs that have proven to keep youth from starting to smoke.

Legacy is dedicated to building a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. Located in Washington, D.C., the national public health organization helps American live longer, healthier lives. Legacy develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use, especially among vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by the toll of tobacco, through grants, technical assistance and training, partnerships, youth activism, and counter-marketing and grassroots marketing campaigns. The foundation’s programs include truth^®, a national youth smoking prevention campaign that has been cited as having contributed to significant declines in youth smoking; EX^®, an innovative public health program designed to speak to smokers in their own language and change the way they approach quitting; and research initiatives exploring the causes, consequences and approaches to reducing tobacco use. The American Legacy Foundation was created as a result of the November 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) reached between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. Visit http://www.legacyforhealth.org/.

Legacy is equipped with a VideoLink ReadyCam™ television studio system, providing journalists with faster, easier access to the nation’s leading tobacco prevention and cessation experts. From this in-house broadcast studio, Legacy can offer immediate access to its experts to comment on breaking news, new research publications, or any news related to youth smoking prevention, adult quit smoking programs, or any issue related to smoking. The studio is connected directly to the Vyvx fiber network and is always available for live or pre-taped interviews. To arrange an interview, please contact Julia Cartwright at 202-454-5596.

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Contact: Julia Cartwright, 202-454-5596, jcartwright@legacyforhealth.org