More than 28 million American adults still smoke cigarettes, including 900,000 Tennesseans. This habit not only harms the health of adults who smoke but also places a significant burden on our state’s healthcare resources, leading to $3.1 billion in direct healthcare costs each year.
The substantial financial and public health toll of smoking underscores the urgent need for Tennessee lawmakers to advance legislation that encourages adults who smoke to transition to less harmful, smoke-free products.
Throughout my professional and personal life, I have seen firsthand how cigarettes damage the body and shorten lives. I’ve treated patients as a physician, pursued policy solutions as a former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and lost my father to what I dubbed “Lucky Strike Lungs.”
I’ve also come to learn that there is more we can do to reduce the harms of smoking. One approach that scientists and public health experts support is known as tobacco harm reduction, which works by transitioning people to less harmful products if they are going to continue to use nicotine.
While no tobacco product is without risk, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration views tobacco and nicotine products on a continuum, with traditional cigarettes being by far the most harmful.
Heated tobacco products, or HTPs, are one promising new smoke-free product entering the market. These products offer adults a better choice and are considered less risky because they heat tobacco at a controlled temperature below combustion, delivering nicotine without the harmful toxins associated with smoke.
While HTPs are not yet widely available in the U.S., they have been successful in other countries, such as Japan, where cigarette consumption was reduced by 44 percent as more adults transitioned to these less harmful, smoke-free alternatives.
Some states, including Mississippi, are preparing for the introduction of new smoke-free products. Last year, Mississippi legislators passed legislation, which changed the Magnolia State’s tax code to make HTPs more affordable than cigarettes. By incentivizing adults who smoke to transition to reduced-risk options, this policy will improve public health outcomes across the state and reduce healthcare costs associated with smoking-related illnesses.
Increasing access to more and better smoke-free products for adults can also be done while ensuring they do not end up in the hands of young people. While the market for smoke-free products is growing, the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that youth tobacco and nicotine use is at a 25-year low. This is a good thing, and ensuring strong enforcement policies from responsible retailers and manufacturers will continue to drive these numbers down.
Tennessee has an opportunity to promote meaningful tobacco harm reduction policies that im-prove the health of its citizens, strengthen its economy by reducing smoking-related healthcare costs, and become a national leader in improving public health, ultimately saving lives in the process.
Pursuing tobacco harm reduction policies during this year’s legislative session is a common-sense approach to promoting public health in the Volunteer State.
Tom Price, M.D., was the 23rd Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is a former member of Congress (GA-06), and an advisor to PMI Global Services Inc.