By Jac Perry

GUAM - As the debate continues to intensify on the issue of tobacco use on Guam, recent news that the U.S. military is studying ways to eliminate tobacco use among all military services presents strong evidence to back the Guam Medical Society's push to significantly raise the cost of cigarettes.

A study conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has revealed that the U.S. military “has nearly twice the smoking rate of the civilian population.”

Similarly, a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control revealed that one in three adults on Guam is a smoker and Guam’s smoking prevalence is 57% higher than the rest of the nation.

A July 1, 2009 Stars And Stripes article reports IOM's call for an all-out ban on tobacco for all branches of the military within a deadline of 20 years.

The Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) requested the study be conducted in order to address the high number of smokers among servicemembers.

According to Stars And Stripes:

More than 30 percent of servicemembers smoke or use tobacco, though smokeless tobacco use is less certain. Those people are more likely to drop out of basic training, have poor vision, leave the service within the first year, get sick and miss work, according to the study findings.

The panel, made up of 15 health care professionals, suggested the ban in order to diminish problems related to tobacco use.

The problems with smoking among servicemembers are the same we face with local smokers. People who smoke are sick more often, and if they continue to smoke, will develop illnesses that will continue to drive the cost of health care on Guam higher for all our residents. It also affects work productivity and attendance among employees that smoke, costing employers more.

With the expected military buildup, this proposed change to eliminate smoking will prove positive for Guam.

Recently, much media coverage has been devoted to the local medical community’s effort to cut the prevalence of smoking on Guam.

While Guam doctors implore political leaders to help break the island’s habit and thereby reduce the rate of crippling smoking-related illnesses, much of their pleading falls on deaf ears.

People are still smoking and are getting sick or will eventually develop an illness because of their tobacco habit. The number of illnesses, high morbidity rates and staggering costs do little to dissuade habitual smokers or curb new smokers on Guam.

When facing these facts, there is hardly another way to tackle the issue except to attempt to deter smokers by raising the costs of cigarettes.  How else are we to answer to the exponential costs to treat smoking-related illnesses and the strain those costs place on communities?

Last month, Dr. Jerone Landstrom was selected to be the Guam Medical Society’s delegate to attend the American Medical Association’s annual conference where he presented a resolution in an effort to garner the support of the AMA to raise the prices for cigarette taxes on Guam.

While the AMA supports the efforts to raise cigarette taxes significantly, it has no legal standing or power, and its endorsement merely sends a strong message to our community and our leaders from an association that speaks for the majority of U.S. doctors.

Legislation to raise taxes on cigarettes has been introduced and is considered for referendum.  Other bills proposing to eliminate smoking within specified proximities to entrances of structures and buildings and to control where smoking is permitted have also been introduced.

But the proposed bills may not be enough.

Guam Medical Society President Dr. Sam Friedman expressed gladness at the news that the U.S. military may propose an elimination of tobacco products across the board.

“The military is finally discovering what has been known for at least 30, more likely 40 years, that smokers are sicker more often than nonsmokers,” Friedman said.

Friedman has been a strong arm in the charge against big tobacco on Guam. “This is the one item on Guam which is causing a majority of cancers and deaths. It is ridiculous to talk of cancer therapy when most of them (cancers) are self-induced and are almost uniformly lethal when acquired.”

With the number of current military personnel residing on Guam and the proposed population of the buildup, “the more support to end smoking, the better,” Friedman said.

The Guam Medical Society will host the 4th Micronesian Medical Symposium from October 9 – 11 at the Guam Marriott Hotel.  The conference will include international experts from the world over – USA, Sweden, Belgium, Australia and the Philippines to talk on "Cancer in the Islands."  With focus on the most frequently seen cancers in the Pacific, including lung, liver, prostate, colorectal, breast, HIV-associated cancers and public health concerns.  This year the symposium will be co-hosted by the Department of Public Health and Social Services and the U.S. Navy.

While the conference will discuss cigarette smoking as a contributor to many cancers, it will not be a main topic during the symposium. “Unfortunately, (smoking will not be discussed) other than mentioning it in passing with lung and colorectal cancers. It is such a no-brainer that no time should be spent on it in a professional meeting,” Friedman added.

John Dela Rosa and Jeff Marchesseault contributed to this story.

Read the Stars & Stripes article, "Panel suggests eliminating tobacco from military within 20 years", July 1, 2009.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites

Comments

Add New Search

Write comment

Name: Email:  do not notifynotify Website: Title: UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge     Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Guamighty  - Guamighty   |2009-07-07 21:39:02 It is great that the doctors are speaking up. Why can't our legislature? Referendum? C'mon BJ, don't give us that! Will someone just stand up and propose a bill to raise the tax on tobacco? Are they that scared of the big tobacco money people? Reply | Quote 1   1

Guamighty Idiot!  - Guamighty Idiot!   |2009-07-08 11:16:28 First of all, BJ has done everything he can do because there is a law that requires a referendum for ALL tax increases. Try asking Rector or Barns....they may be dumb enough to try your suggestion. Reply | Quote 0   0

ilovemango  - Cigarettes suck   |2009-07-08 07:53:27 Raise the taxes!! Fine all the people who throw their butts on the ground & out their window! Not only are cigarettes bad, they stink and make the smokers stink, too. The smokers don't know they stink because all their years of smoking has messed up their sense of smell. Guam senators need to push for higher taxes. Look at what happened with the bars; they were all scared to ban smoking in bars but when they finally put some kind of measure in place, it turned out everyone loves bars without the smell of cigarettes!!! Reply | Quote 0   1

BigEdsBlog  - Military Smoking Ban     |2009-07-12 18:11:30 The health nannies are at it again. Next time they'll be coming after Marion Barry's crack. Read my take on this, and come back for more good content. http://libertarianhumor.com/2009/07/12/n o-smoking/ Reply | Quote 0   0

DevilDog  - Pissed Off Marine   |2009-07-13 01:52:41 So much for liberty. When another can tell you what you can and cannot do. So, what if they choose to smoke, get cancer, sick or what ever, it's what they chose, and you should tolerate it. The day we're unable to take our own lives is the day free men no longer exist. I believe that has all ready come. Isn't being able to smoke and to what I please in my pursuit for happiness a right I fight for? Reply | Quote 0   0

Powered by !JoomlaComment 3.26

3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."