Message from the President Dear Colleagues, On Friday, June 22, in Washington, D.C., the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet held a hearing to focus on "Images Kids See on the Screen." It was an important opportunity for the tobacco control community to be heard on this issue. As a witness, I testified about the negative impact pervasive images of smoking have on youth uptake. For a copy of my testimony, please click here. This issue is timely. On May 24th, the Institute of Medicine (IOM), released a comprehensive report "Ending the Tobacco Problem: A Blueprint for the Nation," that specifies in concrete terms how important it is that our nation solve the number-one cause of preventable death in our country — tobacco use. The report found a crucial need to implement strategies that effectively reduce and prevent smoking, combined with a necessity for changing the regulatory and policy landscapes around tobacco use. Two of the 42 recommendations were specific to smoking in the movies. Throughout, the report's authors stress that if there is to be a significant impact toward curbing the deadly effects of tobacco use, national and state-based media campaigns must be implemented — along with increased policy initiatives. As the only organization directing a national media campaign for youth smoking prevention — other than the tobacco industry — our foundation hopes that funding will continue and grow for efforts like the award winning truth® campaign and state-specific campaigns. Media campaigns have proven successful in the fight to help prevent teens from starting to smoke, and recently Legacy piloted a similar media effort to aid current smokers as they attempt to quit smoking. The EX® campaign, the innovative new smoking cessation program, tested in four cities but it is our hope the program will launch nationally in 2008 with a trusted alliance of public health and tobacco control partners. The IOM's recommendations have been presented to Congress. Here are a few of the other recommendations made in the report: Give the FDA broad regulatory authority over tobacco products Have states fund tobacco-control activities at minimum levels recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Increase tobacco excise taxes at both the state and federal levels Reduce tobacco advertising in stores and strengthen warnings printed on individual cigarette packs Starting with the first Surgeon General's Report on Smoking in 1964, there have been many reports issued that provide us with overwhelming evidence that tobacco is highly addictive, kills half of life-long smokers, and that its by-product, secondhand smoke, is not safe at any level. This recent report by the IOM states that if, as a nation, we commit ourselves to implementing the suggested blueprints, we can reduce smoking prevalence rates to 10 percent by the year 2025, and save millions of lives. The American Legacy Foundation® applauds IOM's blueprint report and practical solutions to solve a serious public health issue. We at the foundation are proud to have funded the report, and urge all of our partners in the tobacco control and public health communities to promote the strategies in order to provide for a healthier, tobacco-free future. Review the report here. Sincerely, Cheryl G. Healton, Dr. P.H. President & CEO American Legacy Foundation