Political Quotes

“last Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that smoking among high school students has dropped to its lowest level in more than a decade. As a heart and lung surgeon, as one who has seen the travesty of smoking and the devastation it causes in people's lungs and on their heart, this is great news. We are making great strides in this battle against smoking, especially in the teenage years. Fewer students now say they have never tried cigarettes. The CDC gives part of the credit to effective antismoking media campaigns and antismoking education in the classroom. I mention this demonstrated success, because it energizes us in the battle against an issue that is equally important and, in fact, actually growing among young people, and that is childhood obesity. The CDC report demonstrates that aggressive education can steer kids away from harmful behaviors and toward making healthier choices. While food is not exactly like cigarettes, one cannot just say no. Childhood obesity is a serious public health threat and a threat that is growing. In fact, the CDC reports that obesity is on its way to surpassing smoking as the leading preventable killer in the United States of America, and that is why Senator Wyden and I today are introducing a bill called the Childhood Obesity Reduction Act.…”