To: President Donald Trump, The Wisconsin State House, The Wisconsin State Senate, Governor Tony Evers, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Standing United Against Death by Tobacco
Whereas, more than a million innocent Americans mourn the preventable loss of more than 430,000 Americans that die every year from tobacco caused and related diseases, and
Whereas, tobacco taxes have increased while the federal and state governments have systematically reduced tobacco harm reductions programs with devastating losses of talent, experience and resources, and
Whereas, an estimated 44% of those sick and dying from tobacco caused diseases and losing up to 25 years of their expected life spans have substance dependence and mental health disorders; they are denied the level of care available to those with alcohol and other substance dependence, and
Whereas, federal and state governments do not integrate evidence-base nicotine dependence treatment into their addiction and mental health services although nicotine dependence 305.1 is an identified substance dependence disorder and particularly addiction programs have the most experience and trained staff to provide abstinence-based treatment and recovery services, and
Whereas, there have been more than 4 million American tobacco deaths and 16 million innocent family victims from death by tobacco since 9/11
Be it resolved that: the federal and state governments be obligated to provide the public health funds determined by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control to be appropriate for an effective tobacco harm reduction in the USA; that the issue and concerns of those million Americans harmfully affected by the tobacco-caused death of their 430,000 family members afflicted with nicotine dependence and the death of their loved ones every year be the motivating influence to bring about the necessary changes in funding and priority of this public health issue.
Why is this important?
The United States federal and state governments are not fullfilling their mission to protect the lives of Americans from illness and death by tobacco. Despite the loss of more than 430,000 Americans and more than a million innocent mourners annually the public health funds to reduce the harm from this epidemic are denied while tobacco taxes are increased.
The President, congress, state governors and their legislators are asked to redress this unacceptable annual death toll from tobacco by directing that sufficient public health funds from the rising tobacco tax revenue be allocated to the programs and agencies responsible for tobacco harm reduction programs.