Orrin Hatch: “Perhaps the most important legacy this Congress can leave for future generations is implementation of a strong plan to…”

“Perhaps the most important legacy this Congress can leave for future generations is implementation of a strong plan to curb tobacco use, and especially its use by children and teens. Quite simply, something needs to be done to get tobacco out of the hands of children--or perhaps more accurately, out of the lungs and mouths of children. The numbers of children who smoke cigarettes and use other tobacco products such as snuff and chewing tobacco are truly alarming. And these numbers are on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most youths who take up tobacco products begin between the ages of 13 and 15. It is astounding that up to 70% of children have tried smoking by age 16. Again according to the CDC, nearly 6,000 kids a day try their first cigarette, and 3,000 of them will continue to smoke. One-thousand of them will die from smoking.”