Step 1-2-3

Smoking became popular after the Civil War but it wasn’t until the mid-1950s before it became widely known that smoking tobacco was dangerous and detrimental to one’s health. In 1964, the Surgeon General’s Report on Smoking and Health link smoking and cancer [1]. Since then, programs have been put in place to help people quit smoking (like 1-800-QUIT-NOW), detect cancer early and improve cancer treatments. While that was a noble effort, it was merely STEP ONE.

Smoking bans were the next natural progression to help protect the general population from this public health crisis. Laws baring smoking in public places, public transportation, restaurants, workplaces, etc. are now the norm in a majority of the United States [2]. That was STEP TWO.

It’s now time for STEP THREE...stopping tobacco farming all together.

[1] “Latest World and US News.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, www.usatoday.com/.

[2] “Everyday Health: Trusted Medical Information, Expert Health Advice, News, Tools, and Resources.” Stroke Center - EverydayHealth.com, Ziff Davis, LLC, 25 Oct. 2018, www.everydayhealth.com/.