There is no silver bullet to stop young people from smoking. Today, children and teenagers have ready access to cigarettes. The cost must be high enough to discourage teenagers from smoking, but not high enough to create a black market. The second aspect is the need for strong public health initiatives, including research, treatment, and surveillance. The third component is advertising.
Society can no longer tolerate the specific targeting of young people by tobacco companies.
In the beginning of the 105th Congress, I was honored to assume the chairmanship of a newly established subcommittee on public health and safety, with jurisdiction over many agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services. In establishing the Subcommittee on Public Health and Safety, the Senate recognized the importance of public health. As Chairman, I've been able to bring public awareness to health issues facing this nation and to address the reauthorization of public health programs and agencies. This past March, I was pleased to chair a subcommittee hearing on Global Health. We live in a global society.