New Jersey: Don't Give Up the Fight to Stop Tobacco-Related Deaths

Every year, tobacco kills nearly 12,000 New Jerseyans. It's common knowledge that smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, but it also causes cancer in the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney, liver, mouth and more. Despite these dangers, 3,900 New Jersey kids under 18 become new daily smokers every year.

These stats don't have to be our future, but the state legislature has virtually given up the fight. The state collects $700 million every year in tobacco tax revenue, yet for the last three years, not a single state dollar has been spent on programs to help smokers quit and stop kids from starting.

Comprehensive, well-funded tobacco control programs work: they prevent youth from starting to use tobacco products and promote cessation among current users. The tobacco industry never stops marketing to kids because they know almost all smokers start as kids. That's why we cannot let up in funding programs to protect our kids from tobacco.

Tell your state legislators to fully fund tobacco prevention and cessation programs in 2017!