He took me with him to the auction to seal his truck load of tobacco. In addition to being tobacco farmers, my father and his three brothers were also life-long smokers. With the exception of my father, none of his brothers was able to give up his addiction to smoking. None of them reached the age of 60, sadly they all died of heart disease before their time. My father was able to quit smoking and lived until he was 77 years old, but he, too died an early death from lung cancer.
Today is indeed an historic moment for all parties involved.
The seriousness of the tobacco epidemic and the need for strong policies and programs to discourage and prevent the use of tobacco has put the tobacco farmer in a difficult situation with difficult choices. The farmer has had virtually no real options to get out of the tobacco business. I commend the tobacco growers and tobacco growing groups who have gone out on a limb to work constructively with the health community to achieve common public health goals. Do not doubt for one second that their support for public health is sincere, and do not doubt for one second that our concern for their well being is sincere. The American Heart Association has facilitated meaningful communications between the health community and representatives of tobacco-growing communities for several years.