HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 133

(By Delegates Howell, Ellington, Arvon and Butler)

[Introduced April 7, 2017]

Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance study tobacco/smoking harm reduction policies as a strategy for reducing smoking-attributable death and disease and the associated health care costs in West Virginia.

Whereas, For decades, West Virginia has pursued policies intended to encourage residents who smoke to quit and to discourage others who do not smoke from starting. 25.7 percent of the adult population smoke, and their smoking-attributable disease and death cost West Virginia $277.3 million in Medicaid costs each year; and

Whereas, Numerous public health organizations, such as the Institute of Medicine, the Royal College of Physicians, Public Health England, University of Victoria’s Centre for Addictions Research, and Cancer Research UK, have recognized that there is a continuum of risk among tobacco product types; and

Whereas, The 2014 Surgeon General Report stated “The burden of death and disease from tobacco use in the United States is overwhelmingly caused by cigarettes and other combusted tobacco products; rapid elimination of their use will dramatically reduce this burden”; and

Whereas, Because of the smoke and harmful constituents associated with smoke, the risks associated with cigarette use are substantially greater than those associated with the use of smokeless tobacco products and vapor products; and

Whereas, While abstaining from all tobacco is the most effective way for smokers to reduce their risk of disease and premature death, as no tobacco product has been shown to be safe, over ninety percent of smokers who attempt to quit fail; and

Whereas, For those who cannot abstain from smoking, they can substantially reduce their risk of disease and premature death by switching from cigarettes to a less harmful source of nicotine, such as smokeless tobacco products, vapor products, and nicotine replacement therapies(NRTs); and

Whereas, Eighty percent of smokers believe nicotine causes cancer, and seventy-four percent of smokers do not believe smokeless tobacco products are less harmful than cigarettes; and 

Whereas, Misconceptions about the harmfulness of nicotine prevents the use of NRTs. and in the two-thirds of people who believe NRT is harmful only thirty percent of them had used NRT in the past; and

Whereas, Sixty percent of youth who use smokeless tobacco also smoke cigarettes, and there is evidence that indicates anti-smokeless campaigns push dual users to sole cigarette use; therefore be it

            Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Legislature hereby requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study tobacco/smoking harm reduction policies as a strategy for reducing smoking-attributable death and disease and the associated health care costs in West Virginia; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2018, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate any recommendations; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, prepare a report and draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.