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MSMS Joins New Alliance to Strengthen Tobacco Control Policies, Protect Michigan Kids from Tobacco
Tobacco usage in Michigan results in the deaths of 16,200 Michiganders every year
To combat Michigan’s growing youth tobacco epidemic, a new statewide alliance has launched committed to strengthening tobacco control policies to better protect the state’s young people.
“Use of tobacco products by young people is unacceptably high and the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance is committed to changing this trend and working to protect our young people from a lifelong addiction,” said Jared Burkhart, executive director of the Michigan Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics.
The Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance includes more than 50 organizations that will focus on working with the Legislature to strengthen Michigan’s tobacco control policies including:
- Establishing a tobacco retail license, which will allow the state to create and maintain a list of retailers in the state who sell tobacco products and enforce retailer compliance.
- Repealing purchase, use and possession (PUP) penalties on youth that shift responsibility for compliance away from retailers who profit from tobacco sales and instead target kids. PUP policies have not been shown to be effective in reducing youth tobacco use.
- Strengthening Michigan’s age of sale laws with enforcement provisions that include regular compliance checks on all retailers, graduated fines resulting in licenses suspension and revocation for noncompliant retailers.
“It’s time for Michigan to get serious about tobacco control,” said Andrew Schepers, Michigan government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. “By strengthening tobacco control policies, our children will be better protected from these deadly products.”
Michigan spends over $4.5 billion annually on smoking-related health costs and nearly 30 percent of cancer deaths in Michigan are attributable to tobacco products, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
“Tobacco is the number one preventable cause of death in Michigan. Nationally e-cigarette use among high school students has increased by 135 percent in the last two years alone,” said Jodi Radke, regional director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. “Our alliance is committed to reversing this dangerous trend and protecting our kids’ futures.”
The alliance includes a wide variety of public health organizations and associations, hospital systems, community education groups and more. It is chaired by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the Michigan Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Full alliance membership includes:
- Allegiance Health
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- American Heart Association
- American Lung Association
- Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
- CARE of Southeastern Michigan
- Cherry Health
- City of Flint- Public Health Department
- Community Mental Health Association of Michigan
- Genesee County Health Department
- Genesee Health Plan
- Genesee County ISD
- Genesee County Medical Society
- Genesee County Prevention Coalition
- Health Department of Northwest Michigan
- Henry Ford Health System
- Hurley Medical Center
- Ingham County Health Department
- Ingham County Medical Society
- Kent County Health Connect
- March of Dimes
- Mercy Health
- McLaren Health Care
- Michigan’s Children
- Michigan Academy of Family Physicians
- Michigan Association of Local Public Health
- Michigan Black Caucus Foundation
- Michigan Catholic Conference
- Michigan Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics
- Michigan Chapter of American College of Cardiology
- Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
- Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners
- Michigan Health and Hospital Association
- Michigan League for Public Policy/Kids Count
- Michigan Nurses Association
- Michigan Osteopathic Association
- Michigan Public Health Association
- Michigan Society of Hematology and Oncology
- Michigan State Medical Society
- Michigan State University – College of Human Medicine
- Michigan Thoracic Society
- Mid-Michigan District Health Department
- PAVe - Parents Against Vaping e Cigarettes
- Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center
- Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
- Spectrum Health
- St. Clair County Health Department
- Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation
- Tobacco Free Michigan
- Tobacco Free Network
- Trinity Health
- South Eastern Michigan Indians
For more information on the Keep MI Kids Tobacco Free Alliance, visit keepmikidstobaccofree.com.