Not too long ago, the Minister of Health in Ireland published a plan to make their country tobacco free by 2025. Ireland joins New Zealand, where a few years ago a similar plan was launched with the same year as a target. These countries are planning to implement measures to restrict marketing, support people in stopping smoking, increasing the cost of cigarettes, and stopping smuggling.
The stakes are high as the following things are happening each day in the United States:
· Big Tobacco industry spends $23 million to market their products
· Roughly 4,000 children smoke for the first time
· 1,000 children “graduate” to daily smoking
· About 1,200 of Big Tobacco’s customers die from a tobacco-caused illness.
Like New Zealand and Ireland, we could also make cigarette smoking a thing of the past. Thanks to groups like the Truth Initiative and their campaign to #FinishIt, youth smoking is now down to 8%! We are close to creating the first smoke-free generation the United States has ever seen. As importantly, there are more ex-smokers today than current smokers. By becoming an "Ex”, you are an important contributor in the journey to create a world without tobacco.
