These discussions stemmed from a decision earlier this year of Vermont institutions to team up with the Department of Health to help people in Vermont quit smoking and to put programs in place that will discourage young people from taking up the habit. Heart disease, lung cancer, throat cancer, mouth cancer, bronchitis, pneumonia, low-birthweight babies, SIDS, are just a few of the conditions afflicting smokers. Twenty percent of all deaths in Vermont are smoking-relate. And smokers affect the health of others as well. And 18 percent of pregnant women in Vermont smoke, putting their babies and children at risk.
Smoking is described as the most preventable cause of disease in the country.
The Tobacco Task Force has been asked by the Legislature and the Governor to develop a long-term, detailed plan on the best use of the funding The Task Force is sponsoring a series of public forums in the first two weeks of October to elicit comments about how to use the money. You could have read this newsletter there last week. For information, call 800 639-3188.