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Editor, News-Register:
As a grandparent, I am concerned about Big Tobacco's enormous toll on our state. If nothing is done to reduce tobacco use, 47,000 West Virginia kids under 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking. West Virginia can and must do better. I am calling on Sen.Mike Maroney to increase funding to $16.5 million for the state's tobacco prevention and cessation program.
Our lawmakers can and must do better to protect West Virginia youth from Big Tobacco. A well-funded, fact-based tobacco control program is needed to counteract the millions of dollars that tobacco companies spend to market their deadly and addictive products to West Virginians, including our youth. Right now, in West Virginia, over 40% of high school students use tobacco -- the highest high school tobacco use rate in the nation.
We can and we must do better.
My pre-teen and teenaged granddaughters share that many of their friends smoke or vape. The girls express concern for their friends' health and can't understand why the other kids don't understand the dangers. Some teens vape because their parents believe it is a good alternative to smoking. Vaping and smoking are both unacceptable and equally dangerous.
As a caring resident of our state and a volunteer with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, I urge Sen. Maroney and other lawmakers to take action to prevent kids from starting to use tobacco and help those who want to quit. Please help West Virginia rise from being one of the last in the nation when it comes to tobacco prevention and cessation by increasing funding to $16.5 million for critical tobacco control programs.
Karen S. Coffield
American Cancer Society Cancer volunteer
Moundsville