By CAROLINE COBB AND MICHELLE PEACE
Virginia's Tobacco Control Program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), has been effectively defunded and dismantled as a result of recent federal action to reduce government programs and workforce.
A conglomerate of nicotine and tobacco research scientists and physicians in Virginia have grave concerns about the impact of these closures and are urging Congress and Virginia's congressional delegation to continue supporting programs that eliminate and prevent tobacco use.
Smoking is the leading cause of premature and preventable deaths in the United States. In Virginia, more than 10,000 people die every year from smoking-related causes, with an associated health care cost of $3.6 billion annually.
People are also reading... Busch Gardens' newest roller coaster brings back an old favorite Update: Court documents show former Henrico teacher accused of sexually abusing her dog Former city employee spent $840,000 at company registered to his house, records show Virginia education department violated procurement rules in extending $83M contract Seven Virginia governors celebrate Brown v. Board of Education; Wilder skips event Chesterfield police officer arrested on drug charges Read the texts: Avula found out about Richmond fluoride discharge from Henrico's Vithoulkas Two women shot on Mechanicsville Turnpike on Sunday night Williams: The J6 shame to fame tour - next stop, Monument Avenue? Residents must contact mortgage lenders to resolve city's tax error, officials say Second person charged in connection to girl's body found at Ancarrow's Landing UR football coach Russ Huesman not thrilled Maryland snatched his kicker 'for $50,000' Jan. 6 rioter, who smashed windows inside Capitol, charged in Henrico burglary Youngkin defies House on vetoes, but court fight unlikely More Hanover preschoolers showing up with disabilities
According to the Virginia Department of Health, if smoking rates continue at the current state rate of 12%, approximately 152,000 children living today will ultimately die from a smoking-related disease. The health consequences of new tobacco products, such as vapes, will not be realized for years.
The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration established their tobacco control programs in 1999 and 2009, respectively. The United States has seen an approximate 70% reduction in tobacco use over the last 60 years. Virginia has also seen a considerable reduction in the percentage of adults who smoke, decreasing by 50% from 1989 to 2022.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts
This decrease in smoking has saved millions of lives and billions of dollars in health care costs. Until April 2025, programs like these have led the country in improving public health by regulating tobacco products and supporting tobacco prevention, education and cessation efforts. As an example, Virginia's free tobacco quit line has helped tens of thousands of individuals quit smoking since 2005.
Federal cuts to tobacco control programs will cost us years of progress. Because these programs save lives and money, the cuts are regressive and nonsensical.
Our children are vulnerable and susceptible to the falsehoods promoted through tobacco marketing and investments in our communities and at the point-of-sale. This vulnerability is evident by data demonstrating alarming rates of vaping, dipping and smoking among students from fourth through 12th grades; school administrators, parents and community leaders consistently reporting the challenges of addressing tobacco use among youth; and by the pervasiveness of vape and smoke shops in our communities and near schools.
Compounding the concern, a study performed in 2023-2024 found that at least 15% of the vapes collected in schools across Virginia contain cannabinoids. Addressing youth tobacco use is not only critical in its own right -- it also plays a key role in preventing broader substance use.
The elimination of Virginia's Tobacco Control Program will reverse decades of progress, costing the commonwealth thousands of lives and billions of dollars in preventable health care expenses.
Our ability to push back against aggressive efforts to attract and retain lifelong consumers has been jeopardized. As scientists and physicians who have dedicated most of our careers to reducing the public health harms of tobacco, and as parents and concerned citizens, we urge Virginia to stand firm in its commitment to reduce the death, disease and economic burden associated with tobacco use by maintaining programs that provide education, prevention, cessation and support for healthy choices.
A rise in tobacco use threatens the future of our citizens, and the human and economic well-being of our commonwealth and our nation.
For all these reasons, we urge Congress and Virginia's congressional delegation to use their authority to appropriately fund the CDC Office on Smoking and Health.
From the Archives: Philip Morris in the 1950s and 60s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s Philip Morris 60s and 70s
Caroline O. Cobb is an associate professor and director of the Health Psychology Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her areas of focus include menthol cigarette smoking and the use of other flavored tobacco products such as hookah, little cigars/cigarillos and electronic cigarettes and their effects on individual and population health. Contact Cobb at [email protected].
Michelle R. Peace, an internationally recognized forensic toxicologist and a professor in the Department of Forensic Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, studies the efficacy of electronic cigarettes as they pertain to substance use and abuse. Contact Peace at [email protected].
Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0