By Hirschi, Maxey, Berlanga, Glaze H.C.R. No. 286 75R16683 PFG-F HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, The statutory mission of the Texas Department of 1-2 Health is to protect and promote the health of the citizens of this 1-3 state; and 1-4 WHEREAS, In fulfilling its mission, the agency administers 1-5 programs regarding the quality and delivery of health care, the 1-6 control and prevention of disease, and the preservation of consumer 1-7 health in accordance with both state and federal law; and 1-8 WHEREAS, In Texas, about 23 percent of the state's 1-9 population, or approximately three million Texans, smoke 1-10 cigarettes; and 1-11 WHEREAS, In Texas, although the sale of tobacco to anyone 1-12 under the age of 18 is prohibited, more than 300,000 children in 1-13 the 7th grade through 12th grade currently use tobacco; and 1-14 WHEREAS, In 1988, a U.S. Surgeon General report showed that 1-15 cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addictive, that tobacco 1-16 users use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine, 1-17 and that most tobacco users find it difficult to quit due to this 1-18 addiction; and 1-19 WHEREAS, A 1992 survey found that approximately two-thirds of 1-20 adolescents who smoke said that they want to quit, and 70 percent 1-21 said they would not start smoking if they could make that choice 1-22 again; and 1-23 WHEREAS, According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control 1-24 and Prevention, one-third of persons with incomes below $20,000 2-1 smoke; and 2-2 WHEREAS, In 1995, five Texas cities ranked in the top 15 2-3 cities in the United States as having the highest density of likely 2-4 smokers: El Paso (ranked number one), San Antonio, 2-5 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, and 2-6 Houston; and 2-7 WHEREAS, Each year, tobacco use is responsible for more than 2-8 419,000 deaths in the United States and more than 26,000 deaths in 2-9 Texas, which represents more than the combined number of deaths 2-10 from alcohol, AIDS, illegal drugs, accidents, and homicides; and 2-11 WHEREAS, Studies show that lung cancer mortality is highest 2-12 among adults who begin smoking before the age of 15; and 2-13 WHEREAS, Texas recognizes several reports by the U.S. Surgeon 2-14 General that state that smoking is responsible for 30 percent of 2-15 deaths from cancer, 82 percent of deaths from pulmonary disease, 21 2-16 percent of deaths from chronic heart disease, and 18 percent of 2-17 deaths from stroke; and 2-18 WHEREAS, A recent study found that use of tobacco products by 2-19 pregnant women results in 19,000 to 41,000 miscarriages per year 2-20 and 3,100 to 7,000 infant deaths per year; and 2-21 WHEREAS, In 1993, tobacco-related illnesses and deaths cost 2-22 Texas more than five billion dollars in direct health care costs 2-23 and in lost productivity; now, therefore, be it 2-24 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health continue to 2-25 promote tobacco use prevention education and cessation programs; 2-26 and, be it further 2-27 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health employ the 3-1 latest public health research and technological advances approved 3-2 by the Food and Drug Administration, with special emphasis on 3-3 high-risk populations under 200 percent of poverty; and, be it 3-4 further 3-5 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health be encouraged 3-6 to partner with others, including, but not limited to, the American 3-7 Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart 3-8 Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Academy of Family 3-9 Physicians, Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers Association, 3-10 Texas Osteopathic Association, Texas Pharmacy Association, Texas 3-11 Chiropractic Association, and Texas Hospital Association to ensure 3-12 that tobacco prevention education and cessation programs help 3-13 reduce the economic and human toll of tobacco use on the citizens 3-14 of Texas; and, be it further 3-15 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health submit a full 3-16 report to the 76th Texas Legislature when it convenes in January 3-17 1999 of the agency's activities and findings relevant to this 3-18 resolution and its recommendations for reducing tobacco use in 3-19 Texas; and, be it further 3-20 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 3-21 copy of this resolution to the commissioner of the Texas Department 3-22 of Health.