Tobacco in the United States: Difference between revisions

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Tobacco has a long history in the United States and in recent years controversy has arisen due to the suppression of studies on the health effects of smoking. An estimated 45.3 million people, or 19.3% of all adults (aged 18 years or older), in the United States smoke cigarettes in 2010. By state, in 2010, smoking prevalence ranged from 9.1% in Utah to 26.8% in West Virginia. By region, in 2010, smoking prevalence was highest in the Midwest (21.8%) and South (21.0%) and lowest in the West (15.9%). Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, accounting for approximately 443,000 deaths, or 1 of every 5 deaths, in the United States each year. ^[1]

History of commercial tobacco

Commercial tobacco production dates back to the 17th century when the first commercial crop was planted. The industry originated in the production of tobacco for pipes and snuff. Different war efforts in the world created a shift in demand and production of tobacco in the world and the American colonies. With the advent of the American Revolution trade with the colonies was interrupted which shifted trade to other countries in the world. During this shift there was an increase in demand for tobacco in the United States, where the demand for tobacco in the form of cigars and chewing tobacco increased. Other wars, such as the War of 1812 would introduce the Andalusian cigarette to the rest of Europe. This, accompanied with the American Civil War changed the production of tobacco in America to the manufactured cigarette.

Legislation

On February 4, 2009, the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 was signed into law, which raised the federal tax rate for cigarettes on April 1, 2009 from $0.39 per pack to $1.01 per pack.^[2]^[3]

Costs

443,000 Americans die of smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke each year. For every smoking-related death, another 20 people suffer with a smoking-related disease. (2011)^[4]

California's adult smoking rate has dropped nearly 50% since the state began the nation's longest-running tobacco control program in 1988. California saved $86 billion in health care costs by spending $1.8 billion on tobacco control, a 50:1 return on investment over its first 15 years of funding its tobacco control program.^[4]

Companies and products

Some of the notable tobacco companies in the US are:

U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company

Flue-cured tobacco
Burley tobacco
Marlboro, a brand of cigarettes made by Philip Morris USA

Lobbying and organizations

There has been intensive lobbying in the US to portray smoking as a harmless activity. The Insider is a 1999 feature film about the production of a news segment exposing Big Tobacco.

Lobbyists include:

Critics

A half million of children work in the fields of America picking food in 2012. In eastern North Carolina has been interviewed children as young as 14 who worked in tobacco, and recent news reports describe children as young as nine and 10. Federal law provides no minimum age for work on small farms with parental permission, and children ages 12 and up may work for hire on any size farm for unlimited periods outside school hours. Accoding to Human Rights Watch farmwork is the most hazardous occupation open to children.^[5] ^[6]

References

^ Adult Cigarette Smoking in the United States: Current Estimate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
^ Thomas.gov query on H.R.2
^ http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/health/48749802-american-lung-association-celebrates-public-health-victory American Lung Association Celebrates Public Health Victory
^ ^a ^b Adult Smoking in the US CDC September 2011 Cite error: The named reference "CDCSep" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^ The Hidden Victims of Tobacco HRW September 5, 2012
^ Children in the Fields: North Carolina Tobacco Farms NBC Aug 9, 2012

External links

Supreme Court Cases on Cigarettes, Smoking and Tobacco

[1] Adult Cigarette Smoking in the United States: Current Estimate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

[2] Thomas.gov query on H.R.2

[3] ttp://www.allamericanpatriots.com/health/48749802-american-lung-association-celebrates-public-health-victory American Lung Association Celebrates Public Health Victory

[CDCSep-4] Adult Smoking in the US CDC September 2011 Cite error: The named reference "CDCSep" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).

[5] The Hidden Victims of Tobacco HRW September 5, 2012

[6] Children in the Fields: North Carolina Tobacco Farms NBC Aug 9, 2012

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 * [[C. C. Little]] - tobacco researcher
 * [[History of women in the United States#Tobacco brides|Tobacco brides]]
+* [[Tobacco-Free Pharmacies]]
 * [[Smoker Protection Law]]