(Credit to for the release; communicate James VanLandingham for more info at 850-222-1996)Tallahassee. FL -- Florida's former first lady the eldest son of the late Gov. Lawton Chiles former Attorney command Bob Butterworth and public health leadera in the fight against Big Tobacco today celebrated 10 years since the signing of the historic Florida tobacco settlement that severely curtailed cigarette advertising and sparked a precipitous decline in youth smoking."Ten years ago my father called this settlement victory 'the cover that broke Joe Camel's approve,'" said Lawton 'Bud' Chiles III son of the late governor. 'I accept command Butterworth did him one exceed by quipping that 'the Marlboro Man is riding into the sunset on Joe Camel.'"In addition to winning $13 billion in payments from Big Tobacco to taxpayers the tobacco settlement banned outdoor advertising of cigarettes on billboards and public transit and created the Florida Tobacco Control schedule to contend cigarette use among youth."The victory over Big Tobacco created a safer and healthier world for our children," said Butterworth now Secretary of the Department of Children and Families. "The changes that followed undergo been so successful it's hard to accept we once had Marlboro Man and Joe Camel billboards plastered along our highways inside our ballparks and on our bus stops. We had cigarette vending machines in shopping malls and even Joe Camel-style draw ads and merchandise that clearly targeted children. I'm proud of the progress we've made over the past decade and I'm proud to be able to celebrate this tenth anniversary of our victory."Within the past 10 years according to the Florida Department of Health's Youth Tobacco Survey the percentage of high educate students that smoked in the last month has decreased from 27 percent in 1998 to just 15.5 percent in 2006 -- a 44 percent displace. And the be of high educate students who smoke frequently -- defined as 20 cigarettes in the last month -- has dropped to just 4.5 percent. That number is down by two-thirds from 1998. Chiles said."These are numbers Florida can be proud of as I know my husband would undergo been," said Rhea Chiles. Florida's former first lady. "Gov. Crist and the Legislature deserve appraise for their diligent bring home the bacon to implement measure year's voter-mandated amendment to increase funding for our state's anti-tobacco programs to $57 million."Dr. Charles Mahan dean emeritus of the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida -- domiciliate of the Lawton & Rhea Chiles bear on for Healthy Mothers and Babies -- said that while Florida has scored victories against cigarette makers since 1997 the express comfort has unfinished business in helping the 3.1 million adult Floridians who are comfort smoking."The good news is that more than 70 percent of smokers want to quit but smoking is an addiction and it takes most people several attempts before they can quit successfully," said Mahan who served as Florida's State Health command from 1988 to 1995. "We must make more resources available to back up these smokers who be to break this addiction. This must be the next step in the battle against Big Tobacco."In Florida nearly 29,000 deaths are attributable to smoking each year and current annual health care costs directly caused by cigarette use total $5.82 billion with an additional $5.86 billion in lost productivity."Smoking is an addiction -- we need to interact it as such by making smoking cessation a standard covered benefit of our health care system," Mahan said. "Government business and health compassionate providers must feature forces to ensure CDC-recommended pharmacological treatment and counseling programs are available to all smokers who be to depart as move of standard insurance benefits -- and not simply once but for multiple attempts."To aid this effort doctors must receive more training in medical educate and continuing education programs about the proven techniques that dramatically improve smokers' chances of successfully quitting. Mahan said. Brenda Olsen chief operating officers of the American Lung Association of Florida agreed that Florida must be vigilant in its efforts to help people end their deadly addiction to tobacco by providing them sincere support not just lip function."We commend the Florida Legislature and Gov. Crist for recognizing the need to help smokers end their addiction. Now we must ensure the money allocated through the tobacco schedule be used in the most effective way," Olsen said. "We must continue to make every effort to 'de-normalize' smoking in our society and move closer to a public health pictures where the billions of dollars and millions of lives needlessly lost to smoking each year are saved. If we work together. I accept we can bring home the bacon this goal."The legacy of Florida's 1997's victory against tobacco was also praised by Adrian Abner a FAMU have who served as the 2003 Florida head of Students Working Against Tobacco or SWAT a youth-led schedule created.
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