Photo of ‘smokescreen’ shows deadly habit

The ‘smokescreen’ image on the local and state front page on Wednesday, October 6 thwarts many public health efforts to help people addicted to tobacco and those at risk of starting tobacco use . Tobacco kills. It costs.

About $ 811 million in annual health care costs in Maine are directly caused by smoking. Tobacco costs a tax burden of $ 1,330 per household in Maine due to government spending caused by smoking, such as Medicaid costs caused by smoking (JAMA, Oct 2016).

And 2,400 Maine adults die from smoking each year. Smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murders and suicides combined.

Coverage of smoking in the print media has been systematically studied and correlated with the incidence of smoking behavior in the population (BMJ, Vol. 10, Issue 2, June 2001)

I implore you to employ the “Fairness Doctrine” which allows free airtime to express opposing views which was applied to cigarette advertising by an innovative lawsuit in 1967. I asks you to offer free advertising to Healthy Communities in the Capital Region for their tobacco. cessation education efforts to counter the influence you have had in making this expensive and deadly habit appear benign and enjoyable.

Barbara Ann Moss, DO, MPH, FACOFP

Manchester