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a Ceremonial Resolution
21-90
In the Council of the District of Columbia
July 14, 2015
To declare September 20 through September 26, 2015, as “DC Calls It Quits Week” in the District of Columbia and to promote smoking cessation as critical in efforts to protect the health of Washington, D.C. residents.
WHEREAS, tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability, and death in the United States with over 20% of adults in Washington, D.C. smoking;
WHEREAS, the total economic cost burden of smoking in the United States exceeds $300 billion annually, including $170 billion spent on direct medical care for adults;
WHEREAS, stopping smoking is associated with reduced heart disease risk within one to 2 years of quitting, along with lowered risk for lung cancer and many other types of cancer;
WHEREAS, nearly 7 in 10 adult smokers would like to quit smoking, and over 61% of District of Columbia smokers have made a quit attempt within the past year;
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognizes tobacco dependence as a chronic disease that often requires repeated intervention and multiple attempts to quit;
WHEREAS, of the 42.1 million people in the United States who smoke cigarettes, only 5% are able to quit without assistance from healthcare providers;
WHEREAS, counseling and medication are both effective for treating tobacco dependence and using them together is more effective than using either one alone;
WHEREAS, smokers desiring to quit should have access to approved therapies, such as counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and pharmaceutical interventions, as well as multiple channels for outreach and support;
WHEREAS, Washington, D.C. residents may be unaware of the smoking cessation treatments and services available to them to help them quit, or lack the support they need in order to successfully quit;
WHEREAS, DC Calls It Quits is a smoking cessation campaign that raises awareness of the burden of tobacco on the Washington, D.C. community; and
WHEREAS, by providing smokers with the support needed to help quit, DC Calls It Quits aims to support the Washington, D.C. community in quitting its addiction to tobacco.
IT IS HEREBY RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, that the Council of the District of Columbia declares September 20 through September 26, 2015, as “DC Calls It Quits Week” in the District of Columbia.
Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the “DC Calls It Quits Week Recognition Resolution of 2015”.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon the first date of publication in the District of Columbia Register.
