Quiet Anniversaries That Resound Loudly with North Dakotans
By: Erin Hill-Oban
Submitted to: ND Physician, December 2013 publication from the North Dakota Medical Association – pg. 30
With all the chaos and busy-ness in our everyday lives, milestones like birthdays and anniversaries pass by so quickly that, once in a while, we forget
to celebrate the day itself, let alone the importance that occasion brought to our lives. There were two anniversaries that just passed on the calendar, and while we are not upset, as a spouse or child might be upon being forgotten, we thought the occasions provided a great opportunity to remind NDMA members of the progress North Dakota has made in the past five years in tobacco prevention and control.
November 4 and November 6 marked, respectively, the anniversaries of the passages of Measure #3 in 2008 and Measure #4 in 2012. Measure #3 received 54% of the vote and thus implemented and fully funded North Dakota’s comprehensive tobacco prevention and control program. Measure #4 earned 67% approval at the polls and created the strongest statewide smoke-free law in the nation.
These publicly (rather than legislatively) initiated and passed measures have a direct impact on the health of North Dakotans and support for each has only grown stronger since their passages.
In February of 2013, Tobacco Free North Dakota (TFND) commissioned a public poll of North Dakota voters, conducted by Keating Research, Inc., to gauge the public’s feelings toward the aforementioned measures. Results showed support for continuing to fund a comprehensive program had grown from 54% of the voters in 2008 to 89% of those polled, and the statewide smoke-free law, just three months into its implementation, had already reached 72% support, up from 67% of voter support. It is difficult to argue with numbers like that, and it is even more difficult to argue with the effects produced by policies like these.
Submitted to: ND Physician, December 2013 publication from the North Dakota Medical Association – pg. 30
With all the chaos and busy-ness in our everyday lives, milestones like birthdays and anniversaries pass by so quickly that, once in a while, we forget
to celebrate the day itself, let alone the importance that occasion brought to our lives. There were two anniversaries that just passed on the calendar, and while we are not upset, as a spouse or child might be upon being forgotten, we thought the occasions provided a great opportunity to remind NDMA members of the progress North Dakota has made in the past five years in tobacco prevention and control.
November 4 and November 6 marked, respectively, the anniversaries of the passages of Measure #3 in 2008 and Measure #4 in 2012. Measure #3 received 54% of the vote and thus implemented and fully funded North Dakota’s comprehensive tobacco prevention and control program. Measure #4 earned 67% approval at the polls and created the strongest statewide smoke-free law in the nation.
These publicly (rather than legislatively) initiated and passed measures have a direct impact on the health of North Dakotans and support for each has only grown stronger since their passages.
In February of 2013, Tobacco Free North Dakota (TFND) commissioned a public poll of North Dakota voters, conducted by Keating Research, Inc., to gauge the public’s feelings toward the aforementioned measures. Results showed support for continuing to fund a comprehensive program had grown from 54% of the voters in 2008 to 89% of those polled, and the statewide smoke-free law, just three months into its implementation, had already reached 72% support, up from 67% of voter support. It is difficult to argue with numbers like that, and it is even more difficult to argue with the effects produced by policies like these.
Medical professionals know of, and many educate, about the harmful role tobacco use plays in the health of their patients and future patients. TFND
has great respect and overwhelming appreciation for the tobacco prevention and cessation efforts our medical professionals practice in their offices. In fact, a recent study showed that physicians and other medical professionals are the best and most effective messengers for advising individuals to quit tobacco use. Though obesity has climbed the ranks, tobacco use still remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death, contributing to more than 800 deaths each year right here in North Dakota. Reducing, and even better yet, preventing, tobacco use provides the greatest benefits in reducing the incidences of so many chronic diseases – from lung cancer and diabetes to heart disease and stroke.
While the health benefits of reducing and preventing tobacco use are fairly obvious, a topic often overlooked when discussing the impacts of successful tobacco prevention is the potential savings in annual health care costs. In North Dakota, annual health care costs directly caused by smoking alone is estimated at $247 million, and smoking- related costs covered by the state Medicaid program total $47 million annually. If we, as a nation, and in North Dakota, as a fiscally conservative state, are truly concerned with bringing down our health care costs, we would double- down on tobacco prevention efforts.
has great respect and overwhelming appreciation for the tobacco prevention and cessation efforts our medical professionals practice in their offices. In fact, a recent study showed that physicians and other medical professionals are the best and most effective messengers for advising individuals to quit tobacco use. Though obesity has climbed the ranks, tobacco use still remains one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death, contributing to more than 800 deaths each year right here in North Dakota. Reducing, and even better yet, preventing, tobacco use provides the greatest benefits in reducing the incidences of so many chronic diseases – from lung cancer and diabetes to heart disease and stroke.
While the health benefits of reducing and preventing tobacco use are fairly obvious, a topic often overlooked when discussing the impacts of successful tobacco prevention is the potential savings in annual health care costs. In North Dakota, annual health care costs directly caused by smoking alone is estimated at $247 million, and smoking- related costs covered by the state Medicaid program total $47 million annually. If we, as a nation, and in North Dakota, as a fiscally conservative state, are truly concerned with bringing down our health care costs, we would double- down on tobacco prevention efforts.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), best practices for comprehensive tobacco control programs is a three-legged stool: 1.) fully-funding the program at CDC recommendations; 2.) implementing strong smoke-free laws; and 3.) passing high tobacco tax rates. North Dakota is one of very few states to successfully enact two of the three, but with a dangerously low tobacco tax, ranking 46th lowest in the nation, North Dakota will struggle to bring tobacco use down much further. Although an obvious source of revenue, we view tobacco tax as a public health measure to reduce tobacco use and save millions in future health care costs. Proven as one of the most effective ways to prevent young people from ever starting and to encourage current users to quit or reduce use, raising the tobacco tax is a lofty, yet achievable goal that organizations like TFND are dedicated to addressing through legislative action in 2015.
Years of research show time and time again the indisputable effects that tobacco prevention and control policy has on public health, so your work in the doctor’s office, combined with TFND and NDMA’s efforts on statewide policy, are certainly making a difference. We are grateful to your organization for your past support, commend you for going on record with us by adopting a resolution of support to raise North Dakota’s tobacco tax, and look forward to opportunities to provide information and education to your members, the public, and policymakers throughout the coming year.
http://www.ndmed.org/
http://tfnd.stewsites.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2013/06/ND_Physician_Dec._2013.pdf
Years of research show time and time again the indisputable effects that tobacco prevention and control policy has on public health, so your work in the doctor’s office, combined with TFND and NDMA’s efforts on statewide policy, are certainly making a difference. We are grateful to your organization for your past support, commend you for going on record with us by adopting a resolution of support to raise North Dakota’s tobacco tax, and look forward to opportunities to provide information and education to your members, the public, and policymakers throughout the coming year.
http://www.ndmed.org/
http://tfnd.stewsites.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/26/2013/06/ND_Physician_Dec._2013.pdf
