Maryland cancer patients, survivors and advocates are marking the American Cancer Society's 49th annual Great American Smokeout by calling on elected officials across the state to do more to reduce tobacco use and keep communities smoke-free. The Great American Smokeout is a day for people who smoke or use any form of tobacco, including e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches, to create a plan to quit.
In Maryland, tobacco use is still the leading preventable cause of disease and death, and smoking is linked to at least 12 types of cancers, including lung, liver and colorectal cancers. Each year, more than 7,500 die from a smoking-related disease in Maryland alone. Although these hazards are well established, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show 9.1% of adults in Maryland smoke. These products are highly addictive, and it can be difficult for people to quit using tobacco once they have started.
“The Great American Smokeout is not just an opportunity for people who use tobacco to set a plan to quit,” said Lance Kilpatrick, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Maryland government relations director. “It’s also a clear wake-up call for lawmakers that it’s time for Maryland to stand up to Big Tobacco and to stand with the workers in the state who may, if our leaders don’t intervene, be forced to breathe dangerous secondhand smoke.”
The Maryland General Assembly is expected to consider legislation next session that would allow an expansion of establishments that sell cigars and pipe tobacco to also serve alcohol and exempt them from the Clean Indoor Air Act, effectively encouraging smoking and assuredly increasing exposure to secondhand smoke. Studies say just as much, indicating that smoke-free laws and policies reduce smoking among workers and patrons and make it less likely for kids and young adults to start smoking.
Kilpatrick continued, “For nearly 20 years, Maryland residents have been protected by the Clean Indoor Air Act and this proposal threatens to undo those lifesaving protections for the hardworking people of our state. We cannot stand idly by and both allow the tobacco industry to addict people to deadly, cancer-causing products and force workers and patrons to inhale toxic smoke. On this Great American Smokeout, we urge Maryland lawmakers to oppose this effort to normalize smoking in our communities and protect the health and well-being of all Marylanders.”
Free resources on quitting tobacco can be found through the American Cancer Society’s cessation program, Empowered to Quit or at www.SmokingStopsHere.com.
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About ACS CAN
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocates for evidence-based public policies to reduce the cancer burden for everyone. We engage our volunteers across the country to make their voices heard by policymakers at every level of government. We believe everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer. Since 2001, as the American Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, ACS CAN has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in cancer research funding, expanded access to quality affordable health care, and advanced proven tobacco control measures. We stand with our volunteers, working to make cancer a top priority for policymakers in cities, states and our nation’s capital. Join the fight by visiting www.fightcancer.org.