THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Vice President
"We must empower parents by giving them the tools to protect their own children from things like tobacco use and reading inappropriate material on the Internet. We have an obligation together as parents, teachers, communities and government to help families make sense of today's changes -- to protect our oldest values in new times."
Vice President Gore
March 23, 1998
VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES THAT PRESIDENT'S TOBACCO PLAN
WILL CUT SMOKING AND PREMATURE DEATHS BY 42 PERCENT
Vice President Gore released a new Treasury Department analysis that shows that each state and Washington D.C. will have an average 42-percent cut in youth smoking and premature deaths under the comprehensive tobacco legislation the President has called on Congress to pass.
The data show that the cumulative number of teens kept from smoking would be about 3 million over the next five years -- and that about 1 million young people would be spared a premature death as a result.
Fact: Every day, 3,000 young people start smoking, and 1,000 of them will die prematurely from a tobacco-related disease. Over three million teenagers -- more than 22 percent of high school students -- smoke cigarettes on a daily basis.
Vice President Announces State by State Impact
of Administration's Tobacco Proposal
on Youth Smoking in Every State
Last month, the President announced a Treasury department analysis that found that the Administration's proposal -- a real price increase of $1.10 per pack over five years, coupled with sales and advertising restrictions --will save 1 million lives over the next five years.
Now, new estimates show that the Administration's proposal would have major effects on youth smoking in every state in the Nation:
Every state and Washington D.C. will see a cut in youth smoking and resulting premature deaths by 2003, with reductions ranging from 33 percent in Washington state to 51 percent in Kentucky;
Fifteen states will see cuts above 45 percent, including Missouri, Wyoming, and Tennessee;
Over the next five years, the number of young people kept from smoking would be about 3 million underage teens for the country as a whole. Individual states will see reductions ranging from a few thousand in the smaller states up to about 248,000 in California and 205,000 in Texas; and
Over the next five years, almost one million of today's young people will be spared from premature tobacco-related deaths as the direct result of the Administration's policy. More than 20,000 lives will be saved in over 16 states, including Florida where 56,000 premature deaths will be prevented and Ohio where the number is 57,000.
Vice President Reaffirms Administration's Commitment
To Five Key Principles Essential
For Comprehensive Tobacco Legislation:
A comprehensive plan to reduce youth smoking by raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by up to $1.50 over ten years;
Full authority of the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products;
Changes in how the tobacco industry does business, including an end to marketing and promotion to children;
Progress towards other public goals, including biomedical and cancer research, a reduction of secondhand smoke, and promotion of cessation programs; and
Protection for tobacco farmers and their communities.
Prevent One Million Premature Deaths through Comprehensive Tobacco Legislation
STATE-BY-STATE ANALYSIS
Percent Cut in the Number of Teen Smokers Premature
Reductions ------------------------------- Deaths Prevented
in 2003 in 2003 1999-2003 1999-2003
Alabama 46% 27,000 50,000 17,000
Alaska 38% 5,000 9,000 3,000
Arizona 38% 26,000 49,000 16,000
Arkansas 43% 15,000 28,000 9,000
California 40% 132,000 248,000 83,000
Colorado 45% 27,000 51,000 17,000
Connecticut 39% 16,000 29,000 10,000
Delaware 45% 5,000 10,000 3,000
DC 37% 1,000 2,000 1,000
Florida 43% 90,000 168,000 56,000
Georgia 48% 43,000 81,000 27,000
Hawaii 35% 5,000 10,000 3,000
Idaho 43% 7,000 14,000 5,000
Illinois 41% 74,000 139,000 46,000
Indiana 48% 48,000 90,000 30,000
Iowa 42% 16,000 30,000 10,000
Kansas 45% 16,000 29,000 10,000
Kentucky 51% 31,000 58,000 19,000
Louisiana 46% 34,000 64,000 21,000
Maine 42% 9,000 17,000 6,000
Maryland 42% 25,000 47,000 16,000
Massachusetts 35% 26,000 49,000 16,000
Michigan 36% 59,000 111,000 37,000
Minnesota 38% 26,000 49,000 16,000
Mississippi 46% 16,000 29,000 10,000
Missouri 47% 39,000 73,000 24,000
Montana 46% 5,000 9,000 3,000
Nebraska 43% 11,000 20,000 7,000
Nevada 41% 9,000 17,000 6,000
New Hampshire 44% 7,000 14,000 5,000
New Jersey 41% 39,000 74,000 25,000
New Mexico 44% 10,000 19,000 6,000
New York 37% 100,000 188,000 63,000
North Carolina49% 56,000 106,000 35,000
North Dakota 41% 4,000 7,000 2,000
Ohio 46% 92,000 172,000 57,000
Oklahoma 45% 20,000 38,000 13,000
Oregon 41% 18,000 33,000 11,000
Pennsylvania 44% 85,000 159,000 53,000
Rhode Island 38% 6,000 12,000 4,000
South Carolina49% 22,000 42,000 14,000
South Dakota 43% 4,000 8,000 3,000
Tennessee 47% 34,000 65,000 22,000
Texas 42% 109,000 205,000 68,000
Utah 43% 10,000 19,000 6,000
Vermont 40% 3,000 7,000 2,000
Virginia 48% 45,000 84,000 28,000
Washington 33% 25,000 48,000 16,000
West Virginia 47% 13,000 24,000 8,000
Wisconsin 40% 33,000 62,000 21,000
Wyoming 47% 3,000 6,000 2,000
U.S. 42% 1,581,000 2,972,000 991,000