Implementation and Processes of Anti Smoking Policies

For the past four decades, public health policy makers have made significant gains in decreasing the prevalence of tobacco use in the United States. In 1900s Washington, Iowa, Tennessee and North Dakota have outlawed the sale of cigarette. By 1901 it was estimated that 4 in 5 Americans smoke at least one cigarette per day. By 1907 Washington passed a law making “manufacture, sale, exchange, dispose of or give away any cigarettes, cigarette paper or cigarette wrapper” illegal. The same year the Tillman Act was enacted prohibiting campaign contributions by corporations to national candidates but not from the individuals who own the tobacco companies. By 1913 the American Society for the Control of Cancer was created. This would later become the American Cancer Society. By 1934 the Garrison Act was passed, outlawing marijuana and other drug, tobacco was not included. By 1997 President Clinton signed the Executive Order13058 which mandates smoke-free government workplaces (Barrio, 2003). This bans smoking in all government owned or rented establishments. Many states have also prohibited smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants.

In 1998, the Attorneys General of 46 US states signed an agreement, The Master Settlement Agreement, with the four largest domestic tobacco companies to settle state lawsuits aimed at recovering state costs associated with treating smoking-related illnesses (Smith, et.al. 2006). By 2000 it was estimated that United States has a per capita smoking rate of 1,551 cigarettes (Borio, 2003).This shows a decrease by half in cigarette consumptions from the 1976’s 2,905. Many factors, with the assistance of public health policy against cigarette smoking, have lead to the decline. For one, advertising of tobacco products has long been prohibited in television. Second, taxes on cigarettes have somehow increased the price of cigarettes in some states. For instance, South Carolina has a tax of 7% per pack while in Rhode Island; the tax is as high as $2.46 per pack (State Excise Tax, 2007).

Interest groups play an important role in the fight against tobacco or cigarette smoking, whether in public awareness down to the creation and passing of legislation. The power of interest group, such as the Tobacco Free Organization & the American Lung Association, particularly the media advocacy groups, rely on the power of news media coverage to affect public health policy outcomes. It was found that in an analysis of 9,859 tobacco focused articles from the 100 leading newspapers from 2001 to 2003 the coverage of the issues are favorable to the progress of the policy. For instance, in these three year period, tobacco control advocates, particularly the American Lung Association focused on reducing smoking of high risk groups of users and have prioritized funding for comprehensive tobacco control programs. Their efforts have resulted in enactment of various policy initiatives (Smith, et.al. 2006). The “Strategies for Adolescent Smoking Prevention and Control” offers policy makers strategies on how to prevent and control adolescent tobacco use (Roemer, 2002). This includes school based programs, to excise tax, to advertising restrictions to mass media and public education.

Interest groups have learned the advantage offered by news coverage in terms of policy advancement and implementation. The influence of media on policy relies on interest groups’ presentation of issues. Interest groups now capitalize on media in terms of creating interest on public’s mind but also on the ways the laws or policies are enacted.

This process of policy making and implementation is one of the best ways of using media for public advantage. I definitely agree with the method of interest groups in controlling cigarette and tobacco smoking. It is quite effective in putting this health issue in perspective. Public awareness would not have been achieved had it not been through the use of media and policies would be more difficult to pass since companies have their own resources in lobbying for their interest in the congress.

Works Cited

Gene, Borio. 2003. Tobacco Timeline. Tobacco.org

Retrieved 25 September 2007 from

http://www.tobacco.org/resources/history/Tobacco_History20-1.html

Roemer, Ruth. 2002. Combating Teen Smoking: Research and Policy Strategies. Journal of

Public Health Policy. Retrieved 25 September 2007 from

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4020/is_200201/ai_n9036581/pg_1

Smith, Katherine Clegg, Wakefield, Melanie, Edsall, Elizabeth. 2006. Good News About

Smoking: How do US Newspapers Cover Tobacco Issues? The Journal of Public Health Policy. Retrieved 25 September 2007 from

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4020/is_200601/ai_n16731524/pg_1

State Excise Tax Rates on Cigarettes. 2007. Federal Taxation Administration.

Retrieved 25 September 2007 from

http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/cigarett.html