Articles

Congress Must Preserve Quitlines and The Tips Program (Forbes)


FORBES | Smoking is the number one killer and public health challenge today, causing more deaths each year than automobile accidents, firearm-related injuries, HIV, illegal drug use, and alcohol abuse—combined. As a surgeon, it was the primary cause of the heart and lung disease that I operated on every day for 15 years.

In my home town of Nashville, Tennessee, approximately 110,000 people smoke—21% of the adult population. Each is cutting on average seven to ten years from their lifespan. Their habit is costing them years lost from family, friends, and loved ones. I take this issue seriously, and we recently launched a broadly supported, collective impact initiative called NashvilleHealth, which is rallying the community to address smoking as the number one health challenge to the vitality of our county.

Read more at Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrist/2016/09/09/congress-must-preserve-program-that-has-helped-nearly-a-half-million-americans-quit-smoking/#72fd6c785841