The North Dakota Medical Association supports the forward steps represented by Reengrossed SB 2380 in establishing a mechanism within the ND Health Department for developing an adequately funded, comprehensive tobacco prevention and treatment dependency program in our state.
Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States and in North Dakota.
Not only would a comprehensive program diminish the individual family tragedies associated with tobacco-related disease and death, but would also help stem the rising cost of health care for families and businesses in North Dakota. North Dakota physicians support the development of an adequately funded, comprehensive tobacco prevention and dependency treatment program. Primary care physicians in North Dakota are in the unique position of seeing the tragic effects of smoking and second-hand smoke in their patients on a daily basis, including cases of heart disease, lung cancer, emphysema, bronchitis, pneumonia, sinusitis, and ear infections in both adults and children. The North Dakota Chapters of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Physicians American Society of Internal Medicine have each given their support to a strong tobacco education and prevention program in North Dakota. Research shows that these best practice strategies are most effective when they are all integrated into a comprehensive program.