By Hirschi H.R. No. 1254 Line and page numbers may not match official copy. Bill not drafted by TLC or Senate E&E. R E S O L U T I O N 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 seventh grade through 12th grade currently use tobacco; and 1-14 WHEREAS, In 1988, a United States Surgeon General report 1-15 showed that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco are addictive, 1-16 that tobacco users use tobacco regularly because they are addicted 1-17 to nicotine, and that most tobacco users find it difficult to quit 1-18 due to this 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 2-1 again; and 2-2 WHEREAS, According to the United States Centers for Disease 2-3 Control and Prevention, one-third of persons with incomes below 2-4 $20,000 smoke; and 2-5 WHEREAS, In 1995, five Texas cities ranked in the top 15 2-6 cities in the United States as having the highest density of likely 2-7 smokers: El Paso (ranked number one), San Antonio, 2-8 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito, and 2-9 Houston; and 2-10 WHEREAS, Each year, tobacco use is responsible for more than 2-11 419,000 deaths in the United States and more than 26,000 deaths in 2-12 Texas, which represents more than the combined number of deaths 2-13 from alcohol, AIDS, illegal drugs, accidents, and homicides; and 2-14 WHEREAS, Studies show that lung cancer mortality is highest 2-15 among adults who begin smoking before the age of 15; and 2-16 WHEREAS, Texas recognizes several reports by the United 2-17 States Surgeon General that state that smoking is responsible for 2-18 30 percent of deaths from cancer, 82 percent of deaths from 2-19 pulmonary disease, 21 percent of deaths from chronic heart disease, 2-20 and 18 percent of deaths from stroke; and 2-21 WHEREAS, A recent study found that use of tobacco products by 2-22 pregnant women results in 19,000 to 41,000 miscarriages per year 2-23 and 3,100 to 7,000 infant deaths per year; and 2-24 WHEREAS, In 1993, tobacco-related illnesses and deaths cost 2-25 Texas more than $5 billion in direct health care costs and in lost 3-1 productivity; now, therefore, be it 3-2 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health continue to 3-3 promote tobacco use prevention education and cessation programs; 3-4 and, be it further 3-5 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health employ the 3-6 latest public health research and technological advances approved 3-7 by the Food and Drug Administration, with special emphasis on 3-8 high-risk populations under 200 percent of poverty; and, be it 3-9 further 3-10 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health be encouraged 3-11 to partner with others, including, but not limited to, the American 3-12 Cancer Society, American Lung Association, American Heart 3-13 Association, Texas Medical Association, Texas Academy of Family 3-14 Physicians, Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers Association, 3-15 Texas Osteopathic Association, Texas Pharmacy Association, Texas 3-16 Chiropractic Association, and Texas Hospital Association to ensure 3-17 that tobacco prevention education and cessation programs help 3-18 reduce the economic and human toll of tobacco use on the citizens 3-19 of Texas; and, be it further 3-20 RESOLVED, That the Texas Department of Health submit a full 3-21 report to the 76th Texas Legislature when it convenes in January, 3-22 1999 of the agency's activities and findings relevant to this 3-23 resolution and its recommendations for reducing tobacco use in 3-24 Texas; and, be it further 3-25 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this Resolution be 4-1 forwarded to the commissioner of the Texas Department of Health.