|
Guam Doctors Seek National Backing To Raise The Price Of Cigarettes On Island
Guam - It’s a very simple and straightforward resolution that the Guam Medical Society will hand carry to the American Medical Association:
Whereas Guam has the highest tobacco use per capita of any US state or territory; and
Whereas Guam has a corresponding highest cancer and cardiovascular rate attributed to tobacco use; and
Whereas it is hoped that an increased tax would move to correct the health problem wrought by tobacco products and secondarily bring necessary increase in revenue to Government of Guam to address the health problems associated with tobacco use; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that our American Medical Association endorse the Guam Medical Society (GMS) efforts to have local legislation to sharply increase the Guam tobacco tax, which is the lowest in United States of America, in order to decrease the consumption of industrialized tobacco products.
It is almost disarming in its simplicity and misleading in its far reaching effects on our island. Yet, the simple words on this resolution will signify the beginning of a political fight that will separate those who care about our people and those who care only about the money to be made in the big business of tobacco.
Next month, the Guam Medical Society’s (GMS) Dr. Jerone Landstrom will be in Chicago to attend the annual national meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA). And Dr. Landstrom will be armed with a resolution that represents the first salvo in what is certain to be a fight to raise the price of tobacco products on Guam.
Raise the price of cigarettes? Challenge the established powers-that-be in the business community? Rock the boat on something that after decades of being left alone has been very lucrative for a select few businesses?
What are these doctors trying to do? Why would they take on this battle against the big cigarette wholesalers on Guam?
For one simple reason…increasing the cost of cigarettes saves lives. It reduces the number of smokers. It reduces the number of kids who start smoking. It reduces the number of smoking-related health illnesses.
Studies worldwide have shown that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes results in a 4% decrease in the number of adults who smoke. However, in states like New York, where the combined federal, state and local taxes on cigarettes total $4.64 per pack (about 58% of an average $8 cash register price), cigarette sales have dropped by 20%.
It seems simple enough, right? Raise the price of cigarettes and you reduce the number of smokers. That means healthier people, less cancer and other smoking-related diseases, and fewer kids taking up this life-taking habit. But what the Guam Medical Society is doing is not simple at all…not when there’s big money involved and strong political influence to be wielded.
The challenge? Raising the price of cigarettes and reducing the number of smokers takes money away from the established and powerful tobacco wholesalers who, in the past, have successfully flexed their political muscle to stave off all but nominal increases to the tobacco tax.
So just what does the Guam Medical Society intend to do? According the Dr. Sam Friedman, a cancer specialist and the president of GMS:
"This is something that should be off the damn streets!”
But it’s not just the doctors who are fighting to reduce smoking on Guam. In a story covered by Calvo-owned KUAM, Coordinator for the Tobacco-Free Program for Public Health Gil Sugitan said:
“With the highest adult tobacco use rate on Guam, we wanted to bring our partners such as the Cancer Information Services of the Pacific, health partners -- Mental Health, Public Health, the American Cancer Society and the PEACE Project -- to get together to train individuals from the health community, community based organizations and other entities that we can work with people who are ready to quit using tobacco."
And as Dr. Friedman added:
“We (Guam Medical Society members) don't make money off this. We're not looking at this as a revenue issue. It's question of: 'this is killing people!'”
Over the next few weeks, GuamNewsFactor will follow the development of this campaign to save lives. We’ll explore the successes of states where increased tobacco costs have reduced the incidence of smoking. We’ll explore the lucrative business of tobacco wholesale. We’ll analyze the political alliances that will support and oppose this initiative as well as the media conflicts that will shape this ongoing debate. And we will hold elected officials accountable to you, the people of Guam, on their commitment to end smoking on our island and save the lives of our people.
While the Guam Medical Society has a tough fight ahead of them, they will not be alone. The Factor supports this valiant effort.
In the end, for the doctors of the Guam Medical Society, this campaign is about saving lives. But for big tobacco on Guam, it's all about the money!
Related news items:
Newer news items:
Older news items:
|
Top Stories 
