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Pledging
to help New Jersey smokers quit and prevent others from starting,
Governor James E. McGreevey announced in his budget address that
he is dedicating $30 million in the next fiscal year budget to the
Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program. The Governor also proposed
a 50-cent increase in the tobacco excise tax that will effectively
reduce smoking by lowering consumption.
"New
Jersey is committed to protecting what matters most to the future
of our state - the health of our people, our families and our communities,"
said Governor McGreevey, a former member of the National Cancer
Advisory Board. "This is why we are working aggressively to
discourage individuals from smoking and to assist those who need
help quitting. Even in tough fiscal times, we must work together
to support those programs that matter most to our residents."
"Smoking
is responsible for more than a quarter of all cancer deaths in our
State," added the Governor. "I have made cancer research
and treatment a major priority of my administration, and that includes
recognizing the significant role that tobacco control plays in reducing
smoking-related deaths attributed to many forms of cancer. The $30
million investment in New Jersey's Comprehensive Tobacco Control
Program for the next state fiscal year 2003 ensures that New Jersey
will continue making significant inroads on tobacco use and prevention
- and save lives."
Cigarette
smoking is the single most preventable cause of death and disease
in the nation. Yet about 13,000 New Jerseyans die each year from
tobacco-related illnesses.
"The
Governor's support for the Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program
means that New Jersey's tobacco control community can continue its
efforts to reduce smoking on a statewide basis," said Department
of Health and Senior Services Commissioner Clifton R. Lacy, M.D.
"We also need to applaud the Governor for his position on cigarette
taxes because we know that price increases are the most effective
way to discourage smoking," said Dr. Lacy. "Research indicates
that for every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes in
the United States, consumption will fall between 3 percent and 4
percent. This tax is good public health policy."
From
1999 to 2001, New Jersey reduced cigarette smoking among middle
school students by 42 percent and among high school students by
11 percent. New Jersey's smoking rates for high school students
are lower than the national average (24.5 percent compared to 28
percent). Experience shows that teen smoking has dropped in all
states with strong comprehensive tobacco control programs.
The
proposed 2003 funding will enable the Department of Health and Senior
Services (DHSS) to expand the youth-led statewide anti-tobacco movement
called REBEL (Reaching Everyone By Exposing Lies), which empowers
high school teens to not smoke. More than 7,000 members currently
belong to REBEL.
And
among the 1.16 million New Jersey residents who smoke, seven out
of 10 say they want to quit. The DHSS offers three low- or no-cost
customized cessation services that offer smokers a choice: New Jersey
Quitnet, a free online information, counseling and referral service
(www.nj.quitnet.com); New Jersey Quitline, a toll-free telephone-based
counseling service (1-866-NJ-STOPS); and New Jersey Quit Centers,
15 face-to-face counseling clinics throughout the State that charge
for services on a sliding fee scale based on income.
More
than one-quarter (26%) of smokers registered with New Jersey Quitline
have quit smoking for six months following counseling, a result
well above the average success rate for structured cessation programs.
NJ Quitnet has logged nearly 200,000 visitor sessions in its first
14 months of service between October 2000 and December 2001.
Under
the Governor's proposed budget, the DHSS will be able to extend
these services to more New Jerseyans through outreach in the general
and multicultural media and through the many community-based organizations
working with the Department to promote these services and advocate
for tobacco prevention and smoking cessation. These community partners
are essential for their ability to ensure that tobacco prevention
and cessation dollars reach the communities and programs where they
have the greatest impact. This statewide network advocates for smoke-free
environments by promoting anti-tobacco ordinances, smoke-free restaurants,
and other tobacco control policies.
For
more information, please visit the DHSS website at www.state.nj.us
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