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Healthcare Cost Savings
By Amy Ward - Executive
Director
Healthcare for
Americans has been in the news recently. Tobacco Free
Benton-Franklin Counties is working hard to save the rising
costs of healthcare through prevention and cessation of tobacco
products. Below are some facts from the Washington State
Department of Health on the Burden of Tobacco, 2008:
“Since implementation of the state’s comprehensive Tobacco Prevention
and Control Program, current use of cigarettes has decreased by
approximately 30% among smokers from 1999 to 2008. The drop in
general adult smoking moved the state up in rank from 20th
in 1999 to 6th
in 2008 in terms of lowest
overall smoking prevalence in the nation. This is a reduction of
295,000 fewer smokers in Washington since 1999. “
“In 2008, approximately 14% of Washington 10th graders smoke cigarettes.
Among all youth in Washington there are about 75,000 who smoke
cigarettes. About 45 kids still start smoking every day in
Washington. Since implementation of the state’s comprehensive
Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, youth cigarette smoking
declined dramatically from 1999 to 2004. In recent years,
reductions in smoking rates have stalled. The overall decrease
translates to about 65,000 fewer Washington children smoking.”
Washington State
Department of Health report 2008
However, the
work continues. Tobacco illnesses continue to be expensive in
the cost of human life and also in the treatment of the
illnesses tobacco causes.
“Each year,
more people in Washington die from tobacco-related illnesses
than from alcohol, drug use, car crashes, suicide, homicide,
AIDS, and fires combined. Approximately 7,625 people died in
Washington State last year as a result of tobacco use or
exposure.
Source: annual total expenditures CDC SAMMEC; household estimate
from Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.
Everyone in
Washington State pays for smoking-related illnesses
Total annual costs:
$1.5 Billion for
total personal healthcare
$1.6 Billion in
productivity losses
$651 Million is spent
every year for public-funded healthcare to treat tobacco-related
illnesses.
Every
Washington household pays an estimated $631 per year for
smoking-related healthcare – even if nobody in that household
smokes.
It is clear
that the best cost savings for healthcare is preventative care.
At Tobacco Free Benton-Franklin Counties we are doing our part
to reduce the economic cost and human life cost of tobacco use.
For more
information contact Amy Ward at
amy@tobacco-free.net.
Quitting Smoking
By Melanie Norris - Tobacco Prevention Coordinator
The benefits of quitting
smoking begin as soon as the last cigarette is put out:
20 minutes after last
cigarette
24 hours after last cigarette
2weeks - 9 month after last
cigarette
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Circulation improves
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Lung function increases up
to 30%
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Coughing, fatigue and
shortness of breath decreases
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Cilia regrow in lungs,
increasing ability to clean lungs, and reduce infection
1 year after last cigarette
The benefits continue until
finally; 15 years after last cigarette
For a complete list of the
benefits of quitting visit:
www.tobacco-free.net/quitnow
Quit Now
Tobacco users can attend a one
time informational meeting at the Tri City Cancer Center. The
meeting is offered once a month, contact the Cancer Center to
register (509) 737-3420.
 Free
CME Credits Offered to Providers
Last year, the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program and the
Tobacco Cessation Resource Center launched two innovative online
trainings for providers in Washington State. The 2A and R Brief
Intervention training gives providers the skills and tools
needed to effectively talk to patients about tobacco use. The
Fax Referral training focuses on a quick and easy way to refer
patients to the Washington State Tobacco Quit Line.
Both of these trainings have been accredited for 1.0 Prescribed
CME by the American Academy of Family Physicians. The CME’s are
free to all providers in Washington State.
For more information
about these trainings visit the websites below:
2A and R Brief Tobacco Intervention –
www.2AandR.org
Fax Referral Program –
www.faxreferral.org
Any questions or
comments about the trainings can be directed to the Tobacco
Cessation Resource Center at
tcrc@freeclear.com or 206-876-2560.
Thank You Retailers
By Corey Wakeley - Compliance Check
Coordinator
During the past 10 months we have seen
incredible compliance of the Youth Access Law from tobacco
retailers. We have not had a retailer sell tobacco to a minor in
Benton County since February 2009 and only one retailer in
Franklin County has sold tobacco to a minor during that same
time period.
We, at Tobacco Free, would like to say
thank you for taking the extra time to make sure the person
buying tobacco is at least 18 years old. Keep up the good work!
For more information contact Corey Wakeley
at corey@tobacco-free.net
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