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CHARLESTON -- The American Lung Association in West Virginia and Raze will hold an event on Jan. 25 at the Capitol to encourage lawmakers to restore $5.65 million for tobacco prevention and education.
The funds, which were eliminated in 2017 and 2018, will be used to educate youth on the dangers of tobacco use, protect West Virginians from the effects of second-hand smoke and provide tobacco cessation and prevention resources, a release from the Lung Association said.
"Tobacco use is a serious addiction and remains the nation's leading cause of preventable death and disease killing more than 480,000 Americans each year," said Sarah Lawver, advocacy director, American Lung Association in West Virginia. "Here in West Virginia, the high school tobacco use rate totals more than 40 percent, according to the 2018 State of Tobacco Control report. This highlights why this funding desperately needs to be restored and how much work remains to be done in our communities to prevent and reduce tobacco use."
About 700 people are expected at the Capitol, many of them youth from across West Virginia.
"I'm joining hundreds of youth at the Capitol, because I'm searching for one of our lawmakers to step up and become our voice and 'Up The Age West Virginia,'" said Raze member Stephanie Santilli of Barbour County.
Raze is a youth movement throughout all of West Virginia to help bring awareness to the dangers of tobacco.
Participants also will ask legislators to raise the minimum sales age for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18- to 21-years old. The National Academy of Medicine, formerly the Institute of Medicine, found increasing the minimum age of sale for all tobacco products to 21 could prevent 223,000 deaths among people born between 2000 and 2019, including 50,000 fewer dying from lung cancer, the nation's leading cancer killer, Lawver said.
"There is 'substantial evidence' that if a youth or young adult uses an e-cigarette, they are at increased risk of using traditional cigarettes," said Lawver. "The Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit. If smokers are ready to quit smoking for good, they should call 1-800-LUNG-USA to get more information about the Freedom From Smoking program or talk with their doctors about finding the best way to quit using FDA-approved treatments and counseling."
Around 95 percent of smokers try their first cigarette by age of 21.
The District of Columbia and six states, California, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oregon and New York City, Boston, Chicago and 300 other communities nationwide have increased the age of sale from 18 to 21.