Summary: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Center for Disease Control Director Tom Friedman (not the economist) have announced the “Tips From Former Smokers” advertising campaign. The campaign is the first paid, full-scale effort by the CDC to stop the increase of smokers in the United States.
During a live press conference announcing the campaign efforts, Secretary Sebelius highlighted the goals of the campaign, and why this campaign is needed. She said that tobacco kills 443,000 Americans a year, and for every one person that dies from smoking, two new smokers take their place. Also, the secretary stated that close to 70% of all smokers in America want to quit.