CDC Anti-Smoking Campaign Lauded
e campaign was funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which Harkin authored as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
CDC reported an estimated 1.6 million smokers attempted to quit smoking because of the its "Tips From Former Smokers," a 2012 national ad campaign. As a result of the campaign, more than 200,000 Americans quit smoking immediately after the three-month campaign.
The study surveyed thousands of adult smokers and non-smokers before and after the campaign. Former smokers added a total of about a third of a million years of life to the U.S. population, and millions of non-smokers reported talking to friends and family about the dangers of smoking and referring smokers to quit services.
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, credited CDC about its results. The campaign was funded by the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which Harkin authored as chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee and of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. "Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and a major contributor to public health costs. The 'Tips' campaign is proof that the Prevention Fund is saving both lives and money, and I applaud the CDC for spearheading such an effective anti-smoking campaign," Harkin said. "As a result of this campaign, calls to quit phone lines more than doubled, and visits to the campaign’s quit-assistance website more than quadrupled. These results highlight the importance of prevention and public health initiatives, and demonstrate how the Prevention Fund is making it possible for the United States to invest in evidence-based programs that lead to positive health outcomes."
For profiles of former smokers, other campaign resources, and links to the ads, visit www.cdc.gov/Tips.
"This is exciting news. Quitting can be hard, and I congratulate and celebrate with former smokers--this is the most important step you can take to a longer, healthier life," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., MPH. "I encourage anyone who tried to quit to keep trying–it may take several attempts to succeed.’"
CDC will release initial results of the 2013 ads later this year.