Exactly 30 years to the day after the U.S. surgeon general first warned that smoking is hazardous to health, medical groups said Tuesday that a "tobacco epidemic" is still killing 420,000 Americans a year.
Most government agencies also earned failing grades for not taking stronger action against smoking over those 30 years, according to the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society."Tobacco use is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in America," Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders said at a press conference sponsored by the health groups. "Tobacco is a product that, when used as directed, kills."
She added, "Any form of tobacco - smoked, chewed, spit or inhaled - is lethal. This also applies to secondhand smoke, with its lasting effect on small children."
Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello, who was also an aide to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, added that despite efforts by surgeons general, "Cigarette companies have continued to advertise and promote their products with reckless abandon.
"They have continued to spend a staggering $4 billion each year on cigarette advertising and promotion - not to mention the $221 million garnered by the industry in profits from illegal sales of tobacco to children." She said studies show more children recognize Joe Camel than Mickey Mouse.
She and six other past surgeons general wrote to President Clinton seeking stronger actions against smoking on the 30th anniversary of former Surgeon General Luther Terry's now famous first report on smoking Jan. 11, 1964.
Former University of Utah researcher Walter Burdette - who helped write the first surgeon general report - said five years ago, "We felt then that if we could just educate people about the risks, that smoking would decrease and health would improve."
Novello said that while it has improved, four main obstacles prevent further wins against tobacco.
"One, the terribly addictive nature of tobacco; second, the enormous economic clout of the tobacco industry; third, the fact that tobacco products are one of the least regulated consumer products in the United States; and fourth . . . no federal agency has the full authority to regulate the manufacture, distribution, sale, promotion and advertising of tobacco," she said.
The health groups gave D's or F's to most government agencies for failing to phase out subsidies for tobacco, to cut deceptive advertising or ban the products.
The only agencies to get good grades were the Environmental Protection Agency - which received a B-plus for studies on the effects of secondhand smoke - and the Department of Veterans Affairs for seeking smoke-free health-care environments.
The groups gave F's to the White House administrations through the years for succumbing to political pressure from the tobacco lobby to not take stronger action.
Michael Terry, son of Luther Terry, said his father failed to persuade the Kennedy and Johnson administrations to back his first report. Terry had wanted it to be "the president's report on smoking and health" but instead had to release it himself.
The health groups want such action as imposing a $2-a-pack tax on cigarettes, using the money to help farmers switch to other crops, giving the Food and Drug Administration full authority to regulate tobacco production and advertising and making all federal buildings smoke-free.