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PRINTER'S NO. 4262
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
1169
Session of
2018
INTRODUCED BY HILL-EVANS, READSHAW, NEILSON, BIZZARRO, KINSEY,
BURNS, J. HARRIS, BOBACK, DUSH, SONNEY, SCHLEGEL CULVER,
PASHINSKI, THOMAS, LONGIETTI, MILLARD, KAVULICH, SAYLOR,
ROEBUCK, DAVIS, WATSON, J. McNEILL, SCHLOSSBERG, DRISCOLL,
TOOHIL, CALTAGIRONE, YOUNGBLOOD, SCHWEYER AND WARREN,
OCTOBER 16, 2018
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
OCTOBER 16, 2018
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing November 15, 2018, as "The Great American Smokeout
Day" in Pennsylvania.
WHEREAS, Smoking, secondhand smoke and broader tobacco
marketing were commonplace in the 1970s when annual Great
American Smokeout events were first observed; and
WHEREAS, Today almost 38 million people in the United States
smoke cigarettes of which 76.1% smoke every day; and
WHEREAS, Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable
cause of disease and premature death in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Cigarette smoking is believed to cause approximately
1 in 5 deaths in the United States each year; and
WHEREAS, Exposure to secondhand smoke alone causes an
estimated 41,000 deaths per year among adults in the United
States; and
WHEREAS, Including secondhand smoke, cigarette smoking causes
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more than 480,000 deaths annually; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, 3.9
million middle and high school students used tobacco in 2016;
and
WHEREAS, In 2016, according to the National Youth Tobacco
Survey, 47.2% of high school tobacco users and 42.4% of middle
school tobacco users used two or more different types of tobacco
products; and
WHEREAS, E-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco
product among youths for the last three years; and
WHEREAS, Smoking-related illnesses in the United States cost
$170 billion per year in direct medical care for adults and $156
billion per year in lost productivity; and
WHEREAS, Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cancers of
the mouth and throat, lung, esophagus, pancreas, cervix, kidney,
bladder, stomach, colon, rectum and liver, as well as acute
myeloid leukemia; and
WHEREAS, Smoking greatly increases the risk of debilitating,
long-term lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic
bronchitis; and
WHEREAS, Smoking also causes heart attack, stroke, diabetes
and cataracts; and
WHEREAS, Half of all smokers who keep smoking will eventually
die from a smoking-related illness; and
WHEREAS, A smoker's heart rate and blood pressure drop just
20 minutes after quitting smoking; and
WHEREAS, One year after quitting smoking, the excess risk of
coronary heart disease is half that of someone who still smokes,
and the risk of heart attack drops dramatically; and
WHEREAS, Fifteen years after quitting smoking, a smoker's
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risk of coronary heart disease is equivalent to the risk for a
nonsmoker; and
WHEREAS, No matter how old a smoker is or how long the
individual has been a smoker, quitting can help that individual
live a longer, healthier life; and
WHEREAS, Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, The Great
American Smokeout is held each year on the third Thursday of
November to create awareness of addiction and tobacco-related
diseases and deaths while promoting further regulation of
tobacco products and helping smokers quit; and
WHEREAS, Research has shown that smokers have greater success
quitting smoking when they have appropriate support; and
WHEREAS, Smoking cessation is more readily attained when
smokers use two or more of these recommended measures: support
groups, online groups, counseling, nicotine replacement,
prescription medicine, guide books and encouragement from
friends and family members; and
WHEREAS, The House of Representatives, noting the dangers of
tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, is committed to
the prevention and cessation of smoking and other tobacco use;
therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize
November 15, 2018, as "The Great American Smokeout Day" in
Pennsylvania.
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