HMGT 310 ASSN WEEK 2

Tobacco dependency threatens the health of many Americans and it poses a preventable burden to the health care system

Student’s name

Assignment title

Tobacco dependency among Americans.

Public health cigarette smoking act of 1969.

Health problem

Tobacco products are highly addictive. Research shows that approximately 50 million people in America are addicted to tobacco products. Millions of people make decisions to quit the use of tobacco but like any other addiction, this is not easy (CDC, 2021). Research also shows that tobacco users die 10 years earlier than those who do not use tobacco. Almost 480,000 people die every year in America from the use of tobacco with 41, 000 of these deaths resulting from passive exposure (CDC, 2021). This problem affects not only the patient’s health but also their economic status. Tobacco products are highly and maintaining this addiction is expensive. Additionally, while trying to quit this dependence, the withdrawal symptoms are also difficult to treat (Eaton et al, 2018). Nicotine dependency causes other chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. These diseases are expensive to treat and increase the cost of healthcare. This affects healthcare organizations, healthcare insurers, and the government as more money has to be set aside to treat these chronic illnesses (Eaton et al, 2018).

Healthy people 2020

Tobacco dependency is one of the topics recognized by Healthy People 2020. One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 is to reduce illnesses, disability, and deaths that result from tobacco use and passive exposure (Healthy People, 2020). This problem fits within the Healthy People 2020 framework of ending the epidemic of tobacco use (Healthy People, 2020). This health issue is impacted by various social determiners of health such as race. Research shows that tobacco usage among African Americans is almost three times the rate of usage among whites. Another agency that describes the problem is the Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. The CDC describes this problem as the leading cause of preventable diseases, disabilities and deaths (CDC, 2021).

Official title and citation of the legislation

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 2020).

Status

The current status of the federal legislation in the health policy cycle is implementation. This legislation fits in this stage because it was signed into law in 2009 and this means that all the measures and restrictions in the policy are already being implemented.

Analysis of the public policy response

This legislation addresses the issues of marketing and sale of tobacco products as well as proper labeling of tobacco products. The legislation also requires that the ingredients in tobacco products are disclosed. These provisions are meant to address this health problem by ensuring that the products are not sold to minors and that only few packages are sold to an individual.

Policy and social determinants of health

The policy addresses the access to social determinants of health. One of the social determiners of health is polluted air and by restricting the ingredients used in tobacco products, the policy prevents harmful substances from being releases into the air.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the legislation addresses the identified health problem of tobacco dependence by regulating marketing and sale of the products. It also regulates nicotine levels in tobacco products which helps to reduce the effects of tobacco.

Resources for updates

A health organization can check for updates on this legislation in the U.S Food and Drug Administration website.