For years, members of Epiphany Church watched Larry Hagler shakily climb the narrow, steep stairs to the choir loft, gasping for breath after each step. But faces marked by tears of compassion for Larry's health were transformed into joyful appreciation when it was time for Larry's solo. Nothing could silence Larry's beautiful and powerful tenor voice, even emphysema. Yes, Larry was a fighter, but in spite of the determination and courage that his church solos demonstrated, Larry lost each time he attempted to beat his addiction to tobacco. He lit cigarette after cigarette, even when he became a shut-in, dependent on an oxygen tank. In mid-November, 2002, tobacco and emphysema took the life of Larry Hagler, Army veteran, cook, and magnificent tenor.
It's a common story. Almost 11,000 Missourians die each year of smoking-related illnesses, and their loved ones often watch them wrestle with tobacco addiction to their final breath. At the same time, 16,000 teens take up smoking annually, with an average starting age of 11.
Today's cigarette packs contain warning labels about health consequences, so some believe smokers do not deserve sympathy for their illnesses. Yet Larry became addicted during a time when very different public messages were being shared about tobacco. Servicemen such as Larry were even treated to free cigarettes during the WWII-Korea era. As legendary sportscaster Jack Buck wrote about military duty in his poem "Smoking":
And I really joined a large group of smokers,
They gave you all the tobacco you could take.
They almost ordered you to use it.
" Platoon halt - light up - take a break."
Cigarette advertisements during the first half of the 20th Century featured doctors pitching their favorite cigarette. Others touted the health benefits of switching to a brand with "cool smoke" during the "sore throat season."
But as time went by, it became clear that the tobacco industry had deliberately lied to the public while selling a product that causes death when used as directed. Nicotine levels were manipulated to promote addiction, and corporate documents, once secret, proved that tobacco companies researched, targeted, and marketed to children. The weight of this evidence led to the historic 1998 tobacco settlement agreement ($206 billion over 25 years) between 46 states and the industry.
But the promise of that settlement has been thwarted repeatedly. A 2002 report from the Federal Trade Commission showed that in the first two years of the settlement period, the tobacco industry had spent $26 million per day on advertising to attract new smokers to replace the ones who die. A large percentage of that advertising was in locations popular with youth (magazines such as Rolling Stone, posters in convenience stores, etc).
And as the tobacco settlement money began to be released, the economy shifted from governmental surpluses to record deficits in many states. A majority of the states have used the tobacco settlement funds to meet other needs instead of funding tobacco use prevention programs that meet even the minimum Best Practices recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Missouri has the distinction of ranking last among the nation when it comes to using tobacco settlement dollars for tobacco use prevention. In 2001 the General Assembly authorized an appropriation of $22 million for such a program, but ALL funds were withheld as the budget crisis grew in 2002.
It is of critical importance that our elected officials act now to reverse Missouri's course, restore the public's trust, and save lives. Here are two important steps:
· Missouri should appropriate at least $33 million of our annual tobacco settlement funds to create a tobacco use prevention program that meets the CDC minimum recommendations.
· Missouri's tobacco tax ranks as 43rd lowest in the nation. More than 20 states have raised tobacco taxes in the past year, thus increasing revenue while reducing smoking. Ample research shows that as prices go up, smoking declines, especially among youth and pregnant women.
It's time to keep the promise of the tobacco settlement and restore the public's trust in government by doing the right thing on tobacco in Missouri. Hopefully the 2003 General Assembly and our governor will have the wisdom, courage, and character to do just that.
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Oxford is Grassroots Coordinator for Missouri Partnership on Smoking or Health, a statewide coalition of organizations seeking to improve health through improved tobacco policy
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