Latest news with #OfficeoftheSurgeonGeneral
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Higher tobacco prices reduce youth smoking
Tobacco use is costing Nebraskans money and their health. The state sees lower use each time it increases tobacco taxes. (Alvaro) There's no debate that significant price increases on tobacco products reduce smoking among adults and children. A 2014 report by the Office of the Surgeon General called raising prices on cigarettes 'one of the most effective tobacco control interventions' — especially among kids. Every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% among adults and about 7% among youth, according to the American Lung Association. But Nebraska hasn't raised our cigarette tax since 2002, and this failure to act is costing Nebraska lives. At 64 cents per pack, Nebraska's tobacco tax remains one of the lowest in the nation. We're well behind peer states like Iowa, Kansas, South Dakota and Colorado and far behind the national average of $1.97 per pack. When considering inflation, Nebraska's tobacco tax has actually decreased. This is concerning because data show fewer adult tobacco users are seriously considering quitting, according to the 2023 Nebraska Adult Tobacco Survey. One of the key findings of the 2020 Smoking Cessation: A Report of the Surgeon General was that adult smoking cessation can be increased by raising the price of cigarettes. While overall youth tobacco use in Nebraska has continued to decline, according to results of the 2023 Nebraska Youth Tobacco Survey, we at the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC) know that vapes and nicotine pouches in particular are designed to appeal to young people. Nebraska must remain vigilant to continue our momentum. Tobacco's impact on the health and well-being of Nebraskans is dire. In Nebraska, an estimated 2,500 people die prematurely as a result of tobacco use each year, resulting in an average loss of 10 years off their lives, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. At least 75,000 Nebraskans are suffering from at least one serious smoking-related illness. Even people who do not use tobacco experience health effects. Secondhand smoke, which contains more than 7,000 chemicals and chemical compounds, is a proven cause of lung cancer, heart disease, serious respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and asthma, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome. The U.S. Surgeon General has found that secondhand smoke is responsible for tens of thousands of U.S. deaths each year. These health consequences extend to young Nebraskans, too. E-cigarettes, the most commonly used tobacco product among Nebraska middle and high school students, contain a high amount of nicotine, which is highly addictive. Nicotine harms the parts of an adolescent's brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Aerosol from e-cigarettes can also contain harmful, potentially cancer-causing chemicals and tiny particles that can be inhaled deep into lungs. These health effects cost Nebraska taxpayers. Every year, Nebraska spends $900 in taxes per household for smoking-related costs, such as health care and loss of productivity. Smoking-related health care costs about $924 million in Nebraska each year. Thus, significant increases in tobacco taxes not only save lives — they can help address Nebraska's persistent property tax crisis, bringing in tens of millions in dollars in the coming years. Tobacco tax increases are a reliable, predictable source of substantial new revenue. And for current tobacco users who are impacted by increased taxes, it is imperative that the state continue the current state funding level to help Nebraskans quit and keep young people from starting. Current proposals in the Nebraska Legislature to increase taxes on cigarettes, vapes and cigars are a clear win-win for public health and the public pocketbook. Raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 is projected to result in a 7.5% decrease in youth smoking. About 4,000 adults would quit smoking, and roughly 1,300 premature smoking-caused deaths would be prevented. Nebraska should keep taking proactive steps to prevent tobacco use, save lives and protect the health of our communities. Shelby Bingham is the director of the Metro Omaha Tobacco Action Coalition (MOTAC). The group works to strengthen tobacco prevention and control efforts in the Omaha metro area.
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Casey Means and MAHA Remove the 'Public' From Public Health
On Wednesday, Donald Trump nominated Casey Means, a holistic doctor and wellness influencer, to be the next U.S. surgeon general. If confirmed, Means will be the first surgeon general who openly practices alternative medicine. She is an unusual candidate for surgeon general but an unsurprising one. Under an administration that is senselessly gutting science and research funding, "MAHA" priorities largely put the wellness dreams of the wealthy before public health. The Office of the Surgeon General is responsible for communicating scientific information to the public and addressing public health issues. Means' record would normally be considered antagonistic toward this fundamental goal, but Trump has praised the nominee as having "impeccable 'MAHA' credentials." Means describes herself as someone who left "traditional medicine," and has expressed health beliefs that flirt with pseudoscience and closely align with those of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Co-author of Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health and co-founder of Levels (a company that sells continuous glucose monitors), Means has peddled health claims that are questionable at best and dangerous at worst. Like other wellness influencers, she has dabbled in some Goop-esque activities, like consulting with a spiritual medium and taking part in a full moon ceremony, which are a little woo-woo but don't harm anyone else. Of greater consequence to public health is Means' skepticism of vaccines. She has also called birth control use "disrespect of life" and endorsed the supposed health benefits of raw milk. The prospect of having a surgeon general who believes such things is terrifying. Beyond the pseudoscience, Means' general orientation toward health is out of touch with the needs of average Americans. She has built her career and reputation on promoting lifestyle choices such as healthy eating and exercise. From afar, her takes may appear sensible, and at times, even compatible with sound medical advice. A healthy diet and exercise are important, but they alone do not translate to good, humane policies. Means has suggested that health issues like "depression, anxiety, infertility, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's dementia, [and] cancer" are "under our control and simpler than we think." Simpler for whom? An emphasis on lifestyle ultimately assigns structural and institutional problems to individual Americans to solve for themselves. In a country where wealth buys health, how many Americans can afford to insulate themselves and their families from risks of disease and disability? The federal minimum wage has been stagnant at $7.25 since 2009. Meanwhile, the cost of necessities like housing, food, and child care have increased precipitously. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12,... WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 12: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks alongside President Donald Trump during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on May 12, 2025, in Washington, DC. MoreIn her "health wishlist" for the Trump administration, Means says we need leaders who will "inspire people to care about their health, the food they eat, and their fitness." Americans do not need inspiration. Americans need access. It is cruel to push the idea that people are unhealthy simply because they do not care. Our most urgent public health problems cannot be solved with personal empowerment and lifestyle choices. For instance, 7.2 million children live in food-insecure households. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is planning to cut $12 billion from federally funded school meal programs. Health care is also inaccessible to many Americans because, unlike many of its peer countries, the U.S. does not offer universal health coverage. Even for those who do have health insurance, coverage is often insufficient, causing many to accrue medical debt. The Trump administration has added new public health problems: the Food and Drug Administration recently suspended quality control for milk, the Department of Agriculture withdrew a proposal to reduce Salmonella in raw poultry products, and the Environmental Protection Agency has loosened restrictions on mercury pollution. Meanwhile, Kennedy continues to fuel vaccine hesitancy amid a national measles outbreak. MAHA priorities are misaligned with public health needs. Means' sunny website—where she promotes her book, recipes, and newsletters—frames good health as an individual project. Means' wish list to the Trump administration proposes actions that would address processed foods, "Big Pharma," vaccine safety, alternative medicine, and paternalistic restrictions on SNAP. It is apparent that her and Kennedy's health concerns reflect the airy worries of the rich. Their brand of health care is for people who can choose to be healthy, people with the time and money to pursue health optimization, and people comfortable enough to be fussy over food dyes. Pandering to the desires of the upper class, MAHA pushes products and services that are out of reach for the average American. The surgeon general is supposed to be the nation's doctor. Means is just an entrepreneur who peddles an expensive lifestyle. Catherine Tan is an Assistant Professor in Sociology at Vassar College. She is the author of Spaces on the Spectrum: How Autism Movements Resist Experts and Create Knowledge, published by Columbia University Press. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
CNN
18-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
HHS removes surgeon general's gun violence advisory from its website
The US Department of Health and Human Services has removed the 2024 surgeon general's advisory on gun violence from its website. A link to the Office of the Surgeon General's publications on firearm violence displays a 'Page Not Found' message. 'HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights,' HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email Tuesday. Trump issued an executive order last month calling for the attorney general to 'examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies' related to Second Amendment rights and all 'Presidential and agencies' actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.' In June, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared in a major advisory that gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis and demanded urgent action, calling for more research and stronger laws to reduce harm. The advisory was the first time a publication from the country's leading voice for public health focused on firearm violence and its impact on public health. There were 46,726 firearm-related deaths in the US in 2023, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is just 4% fewer than the three-decade high reached in 2021, when 48,830 people died from firearms. Trump's pick to follow Murthy as surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, has not yet been scheduled for a confirmation hearing. Nesheiwat is a New York family physician and former Fox News medical contributor who was involved in a gun accident as a child that led to the death of her father, according to The New York Times. CNN has reached out to Nesheiwat for comment. Also known as 'the nation's doctor,' the surgeon general is a medical doctor who focuses on educating and advising Americans on how to improve their health by issuing advisories, reports and calls to action to offer the best available scientific information on crucial issues. The removal of the gun violence advisory comes after the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was implemented during the Biden administration, apparently ceased operations in January and its website stopped working. The office created the first federal Gun Violence Emergency Response Team, which included the FBI, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies, and coordinated the federal response to mass shootings and community violence. Dr. Jerome Adams, who was surgeon general during the first Trump administration, said in a news conference Tuesday that firearm injury is a threat to public health. With more than 48,000 lives lost to firearm-related incidents in previous years, that correlates to about 132 deaths every day, Adams said in a statement, adding that gun violence is the leading cause of death for young people ages 1 to 19. 'If we care about kids and about making America healthy again, we have to address gun violence. More than half of these deaths were due to suicide, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive public health strategies,' Adams wrote, referencing the phrase often repeated by Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, that they will 'make America healthy again.' 'I urge policymakers to continue engaging with public health experts, law enforcement, and community leaders to develop evidence-based solutions that prioritize safety and well-being,' Adams wrote. 'In particular, we must focus on suicide prevention, supporting veterans, and expanding access to critical resources like the 988 crisis lifeline to ensure that those in distress receive the help they need. I hope that any changes in public health messaging are made with the best interests of the American people in mind.' The gun violence prevention organization Giffords, named after its founder, former US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, has criticized the removal of the surgeon general's gun violence advisory webpage. 'By removing this important public health advisory with lifesaving resources, President Trump has chosen to prioritize gun industry profits over protecting kids and families,' Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said in a news release Monday. 'Guns have been the number one killer of American children and adolescents since 2020, and non-partisan health care experts have understood gun violence as a public health crisis for years. Under President Trump's first term, gun homicides rose 34%.' CNN's Emma Tucker contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
HHS removes surgeon general's gun violence advisory from its website
The US Department of Health and Human Services has removed the 2024 surgeon general's advisory on gun violence from its website. A link to the Office of the Surgeon General's publications on firearm violence displays a 'Page Not Found' message. 'HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights,' HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email Tuesday. Trump issued an executive order last month calling for the attorney general to 'examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies' related to Second Amendment rights and all 'Presidential and agencies' actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,' according to the order. In June, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared in a major advisory that gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis and demanded urgent action, calling for more research and stronger laws to reduce harm. The advisory was the first time a publication from the country's leading voice for public health focused on firearm violence and its impact on public health. There were 46,726 firearm-related deaths in the US in 2023, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is just 4% fewer than the three-decade high reached in 2021, when 48,830 people died from firearms. Trump's pick for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, has not yet been scheduled for a confirmation hearing. The removal of the advisory comes after the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was implemented during the Biden administration, apparently ceased operations in January and its website stopped working. The office created the first-ever federal Gun Violence Emergency Response Team, which included the FBI, FEMA and other federal agencies, and coordinated the federal response to mass shootings and community violence. The gun violence prevention organization Giffords, named after its founder former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has criticized the removal of the surgeon general's gun violence advisory webpage. 'By removing this important public health advisory with lifesaving resources, President Trump has chosen to prioritize gun industry profits over protecting kids and families,' Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said in part in a news release Monday. 'Guns have been the number one killer of American children and adolescents since 2020, and non-partisan health care experts have understood gun violence as a public health crisis for years. Under President Trump's first term, gun homicides rose 34%.' CNN's Emma Tucker contributed to this story. This is a developing news story and will be updated.
CNN
18-03-2025
- Health
- CNN
HHS removes surgeon general's gun violence advisory from its website
The US Department of Health and Human Services has removed the 2024 surgeon general's advisory on gun violence from its website. A link to the Office of the Surgeon General's publications on firearm violence displays a 'Page Not Found' message. 'HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General are complying with President Trump's Executive Order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights,' HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said in an email Tuesday. Trump issued an executive order last month calling for the attorney general to 'examine all orders, regulations, guidance, plans, international agreements, and other actions of executive departments and agencies' related to Second Amendment rights and all 'Presidential and agencies' actions from January 2021 through January 2025 that purport to promote safety but may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,' according to the order. In June, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy declared in a major advisory that gun violence in the United States is a public health crisis and demanded urgent action, calling for more research and stronger laws to reduce harm. The advisory was the first time a publication from the country's leading voice for public health focused on firearm violence and its impact on public health. There were 46,726 firearm-related deaths in the US in 2023, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is just 4% fewer than the three-decade high reached in 2021, when 48,830 people died from firearms. Trump's pick for surgeon general, Dr. Janette Nesheiwat, has not yet been scheduled for a confirmation hearing. The removal of the advisory comes after the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was implemented during the Biden administration, apparently ceased operations in January and its website stopped working. The office created the first-ever federal Gun Violence Emergency Response Team, which included the FBI, FEMA and other federal agencies, and coordinated the federal response to mass shootings and community violence. The gun violence prevention organization Giffords, named after its founder former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, has criticized the removal of the surgeon general's gun violence advisory webpage. 'By removing this important public health advisory with lifesaving resources, President Trump has chosen to prioritize gun industry profits over protecting kids and families,' Giffords Executive Director Emma Brown said in part in a news release Monday. 'Guns have been the number one killer of American children and adolescents since 2020, and non-partisan health care experts have understood gun violence as a public health crisis for years. Under President Trump's first term, gun homicides rose 34%.' CNN's Emma Tucker contributed to this story. This is a developing news story and will be updated.
