ACP Supports Surgeons' General Call to Address Health Consequences of Tobacco Use in the U.S. Military

Statement attributable to:
Robert McLean, MD, FACP
President, American College of Physicians

Washington, DC (July 9, 2019) —The American College of Physicians (ACP) supports a recent opinion-editorial by the surgeons general of the Air Force, Army, Navy, and United States highlighting the dangers tobacco use has on U.S. armed forces and recognizing it as an urgent public health issue.

Smoking has long been known to be a significant health risk to the public. ACP agrees with the call to action presented in the opinion-editorial to address the health consequences of tobacco use in the military, including taking steps to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and electronic cigarette aerosol, setting leadership examples, and promoting tobacco cessation programs. Such actions are consistent with  ACP’s 2010 policy paper, “Tobacco Control and Prevention,” which identified the need to implement and adequately fund “comprehensive tobacco control efforts to prevent smoking and other tobacco product use among young people; provide objective information about the dangers of cigarette, cigar, pipe, smokeless, and other tobacco products; minimize exposure to secondhand smoke; and help tobacco users quit.”

ACP will continue to work and serve as a resource for policymakers and military leaders in helping to communicate the harmful effects of tobacco use. We thank all of the surgeons general for their leadership and efforts in elevating this important public health message.

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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 159,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Contact: Julie Hirschhorn, (202) 261-4523, jhirschhorn@acponline.org