November 20, 2009

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion has proposed Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) objectives available for review online. They are currently seeking input from individuals and communities that are able to provide valuable feedback and additional insight into the development of the HP2020 objectives.

For three decades, Healthy People has provided a set of national, 10-year health promotion and disease prevention objectives aimed at improving the health of all Americans. This year, HHS is inviting you to comment on the draft set of objectives for HP2020. For your reference, the focus areas can be accessed here and more specifically, the proposed Tobacco Objectives here. Some of the objectives have been retained from the HP2010 goals, while others provide entirely new concepts that can help make our nation a healthier place. For more details, please continue reading about these objectives below.

HP2010 goals retained in the HP2020 objectives include:

• Increasing smoking cessation during pregnancy;
• Increasing the proportion of persons covered by indoor worksite policies that prohibit smoking;
• Educating the illegal sales rate to minors through enforcement of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors; and
• Increasing the number of States and the District of Columbia, Territories and Tribes with sustainable and comprehensive evidence-based tobacco control programs.

HP2010 goals that have been retained but modified in the HP2020 objectives include:

• Reducing tobacco use by adults and adolescents;
• Reducing the initiation of tobacco use among children, adolescents, and young adults;
• Increasing smoking cessation attempts by adult and adolescent smokers;
• Increasing insurance coverage of evidence-based treatment for nicotine dependency;
• Reducing the proportion of non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke;
• Increasing tobacco-free environments in schools, including all school facilities, property, vehicles and school events;
• Establishing laws in States, District of Columbia, Territories, and Tribes on smoke-free indoor air that prohibit smoking in public places and worksites;
• Reducing the proportion of adolescents and young adults who are exposed to tobacco advertising and promotion
• Eliminating State laws that preempt stronger local tobacco control laws; and
• Increasing the State tax on tobacco products.

The new HP2020 objectives are as follows:

• A (developmental) increase in recent smoking cessation success by adult smokers;
• An increase in tobacco screening in health care settings;
• A (developmental) increase in the proportion of smoke-free homes; and
• A reduction of the levels of tobacco exposure biomarkers, including NNAL, in cigarette smokers.

Finally, the HHS has shared that the following archived objectives are HP2010 goals that are not included in the proposed set of HP2020 objectives for data, target or policy reasons:

• A reduction of tobacco use by adolescents;
• An increase in the average age of first use of tobacco products by adolescents and young adults;
• An increase in insurance coverage of evidence-based treatment for nicotine dependency;
• A reduction in the proportion of children who are regularly exposed to tobacco smoke at home;
• Established laws on smoke-free indoor air that prohibit smoking in public places and worksites;
• An increase in the number of States and the District of Columbia that suspend or revoke State retail licenses for violations of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors;
• An increase in adolescents’ disapproval of smoking; and
• A reduction in the sales-weighted average level of toxic chemicals in tobacco products sold in the United States.

This is a free public comment period and an initiative any individual in any sector can participate in. Please consider learning more about the HP2020 objectives and contributing your opinion towards a once-a-decade initiative that sets nationwide health goals.

Your Call to Action: Learn more information about the public meetings, including the dates and locations by clicking here. To learn more about the public comment process, click here. Public comments can be made now through December 31, 2009 at this link: Healthy People 2020 comments.